Name: Mike Simmons
What office are you seeking: US House of Representatives, Illinois’ 9th Congressional District
What is your political party? Democrat
What is your current age? 43
Occupation and employer: Current Illinois State Senator, SD-07
What offices, if any, have you previously held? Illinois State Senate, SD-07 (2021-present)
City: Chicago, Illinois
Campaign website: mikesimmons.org
Education: BA, Political Science from Amherst College
Community involvement: I am a proud member of the LGBTQ+ community and a deep-rooted Northsider. I’ve personally volunteered with, and sponsored as State Senator, organizations that provide food, clothing, and other direct services to the people of my community. Giving back to the community is a priority for me not just on my own time, but in everything I do as an elected official for the far north side of Chicago.
Marital status/Immediate family: I live with my partner Michael and our dog Sasha.
What are your top three legislative priorities for your first year in the U.S. House?
First, lowering costs for working families by tackling housing affordability, prescription drug prices, and corporate price-gouging.
Second, defending democracy by restoring congressional authority, protecting voting rights, and stopping Donald Trump from continuing to abuse executive power.
Third, strengthening workers’ rights and economic security through labor protections, fair taxation of the ultra-wealthy, and investments in public infrastructure that create good union jobs.
What specific local issues in this district will guide your work in Congress?
I grew up in this district and represent it now in the Illinois Senate. The issues I hear about every day are housing costs, transit reliability, public school funding, and access to affordable health care.
People here want a government that works for them, not one captured by corporate interests or paralyzed by partisan games. Those realities will guide my work in Congress, just as they have in Springfield.
What federal funding priorities would you advocate for this district, including infrastructure needs like roads, bridges, broadband, and transit?
I will advocate for major federal investment in public transit, including CTA and regional rail, because reliable transit is essential to economic opportunity in Chicagoland.
I will also push for funding for climate-resilient infrastructure, road and bridge repair, broadband expansion, and public school facilities. These investments should be tied to strong labor standards so they create good, local jobs.
How will you prioritize the concerns of your district versus the priorities of your party?
My priority is always the people I represent. Party labels matter less than results.
That said, I do not believe there is a conflict between standing up for this district and fighting for progressive policies. The agenda that lowers costs, strengthens democracy, and holds the wealthy accountable is the agenda my constituents need.
Has Congress given up its Article I powers during the Trump administration? How would you restore congressional authority?
Yes. Congress has repeatedly allowed Donald Trump to bypass its constitutional authority, particularly on war powers, trade, ICE and executive enforcement.
I would work to restore congressional authority by reasserting control over military action, trade policy, and federal agencies. Democracy cannot survive if Congress voluntarily hands its power to a wanna-be authoritarian.
What is your position on U.S. intervention, specifically Ukraine, Israel and Venezuela?
### I strongly oppose the Trump Administration’s power grab in Venezuela and our empowering of the corrupt Netanyahu regime in Israel. America has a duty to protect democracy and stand against imperial invasion, like in Ukraine. ButAmerica also has a long and bloody history of going to far corners of the world, looking for oil and resources, and sacrificing young Americans’ lives in the process. That chapter of American foreign policy has to end. These foreign interventions also take resources away fromAmerican priorities here at home, like funding public schools and public transportation.
Do you believe the President should have the constitutional authority to order military strikes and detain a foreign head of state without prior Congressional authorization? Why or why not, and where should Congress draw the line between executive action and its own constitutional war powers?
No. The Constitution is clear: Congress has the power to declare war.
Allowing any president to unilaterally order military action or detain a foreign head of state without congressional authorization is dangerous and unconstitutional. Congress must draw firm lines and enforce them, or those powers will continue to be abused. We cannot forget that this was oil. The president wants to reward the oil and gas companies that have enormous political power because of the money they corrupt our political system with.
Do you believe any conduct of the current administration needs to be investigated?
Yes. No administration is above the law, and that is especially true of one led by Donald Trump.
Congress has a responsibility to investigate abuses of power, corruption, misuse of federal agencies, and violations of constitutional norms. Oversight is not partisan retaliation; it is a core function of democracy.
Has the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) gone too far in its recommendations?
Yes. Efficiency cannot be an excuse to dismantle public services or hollow out agencies that people rely on.
Too often, “efficiency” is code for privatization, cuts, and weakening accountability. Government should be effective and transparent, but its purpose is to serve people, not mimic corporate cost-cutting.
How will you work across the aisle to pass legislation?
I will work with anyone when it helps the people of this district.
I have done that in the Illinois Senate on infrastructure, constituent services, and local issues. But I will not compromise on civil rights, democracy, or economic fairness just to claim bipartisanship.
Do you support term limits for House members, and if so, what limits?
I am open to term limits, but they are not a silver bullet.
The bigger problem in Congress is the influence of money and entrenched power, not simply longevity. Any conversation about term limits must also address campaign finance reform and lobbying restrictions.
What is your stance on border security and immigration reform?
Our immigration system is broken, and enforcement-only approaches have failed.
I support abolishing ICE as it currently exists and replacing it with a system rooted in due process, human rights, and real public safety. I support a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants who are already part of our communities and an asylum system that functions with dignity and efficiency.
Do you support changes to Social Security or Medicare to ensure long-term solvency?
I do not support cutting benefits or raising the retirement age.
The most effective way to ensure long-term solvency is to lift the cap on income subject to payroll taxes so high earners pay the same rate as everyone else. Social Security and Medicare are promises, not bargaining chips.
What should Congress do to address healthcare affordability?
Congress should expand access to affordable care, protect the Affordable Care Act, lower prescription drug prices, and move toward a system where cost is not a barrier to care.
Healthcare should be treated as a public good, not a profit center.
Is the CDC a trustworthy, qualified source of information under RFK Jr.? How should public health policy be managed?
Because of RFK, many Americans no longer trust the CDC, and that damage is profound. Public health depends on credibility, consistency, and science. Once trust is broken, it does not come back quickly. The consequences of undermining the CDC will be felt for a generation.
Public health policy must be led by qualified scientists and medical experts, not political ideologues or conspiracy theorists. Congress has a responsibility to insulate public health agencies from political interference and rebuild trust through transparency, evidence-based guidance, and accountability. Lives depend on it.
How should Congress regulate artificial intelligence, if at all?
Congress must regulate AI to protect workers, consumers, and democracy.
That includes safeguards against job displacement, bias, surveillance abuse, and misinformation. Innovation should serve the public interest, not concentrate power in a handful of corporations.
If Democrats win the House in 2026, how do you feel about calls for impeaching President Trump?
Donald Trump should be impeached.
He represents a clear and present danger to our democracy. He has repeatedly abused executive power, ignored constitutional limits, and treated the presidency as a personal weapon. Allowing that conduct to go unchecked would signal that the rule of law no longer applies to the most powerful person in the country.
Impeachment is not about politics. It is about accountability. When a president threatens democratic institutions, Congress has a duty to act.
If Democrats win the House, what issues should oversight committees investigate first?
Abuses of executive power, corruption, misuse of federal agencies, and any actions that undermine democratic institutions.
Restoring trust in government starts with enforcing the law at the highest levels.
What issues, if any, do you agree with Republicans on?
Agreement requires good faith. I will work with Republicans when it helps my district, not when it legitimizes harmful policies. In the State Senate, I’ve been able to pass bills on transportation access, infrastructure projects, and healthcare access with Republican votes. But I will not compromise on my core values just for the sake of bipartisanship.
Should private equity and hedge funds be allowed to purchase so many homes?
No. Wall Street should not be allowed to drive up housing costs and turn homes into speculative assets.
We need federal action to limit corporate ownership of housing and protect homeownership and renters.
Do you support or oppose the expansion of work requirements for SNAP recipients? Why?
No. Work requirements are punitive, ineffective, and often block eligible people from accessing food assistance.
People should not go hungry because of paperwork or arbitrary rules. SNAP should help people meet basic needs, period.
Who are your top donors? How often do you speak with them?
My campaign is powered by grassroots donors because big money has a corrupting influence on our politics.
Groups like AIPAC are dumping enormous sums of money into races like this because they believe elections can be bought. I do not take corporate PAC money, and I do not believe wealthy special interests should be able to drown out the voices of the people who actually live here.
How would you reform U.S. trade policy so that farms don’t need repeated bailouts from tariff impacts?
Trade policy should support farmers, workers, and communities, not serve as a political weapon.
That means ending reckless tariffs like those imposed by Donald Trump, investing in sustainable agriculture, and building trade agreements that protect farmers from volatility instead of forcing repeated bailouts.