Todd Lyons, the acting head of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, defended his agency’s officers before Congress on Tuesday, standing behind their tactics and saying they would not be intimidated as they carry out the president’s mass deportation plans

March 17 marks the 2026 primary, where voters can pull a Democratic or Republican ballot to pick who appears on the ballot come November. All voters, partisan or not, can weigh in on referendum questions.

Neil Khot: There are serious concerns that warrant congressional investigation, including potential ethics violations, failures to comply with court orders, and unconstitutional actions by ICE and other federal law enforcement agencies. Read Khot's full election questionnaire

Under questioning from Democrats Tuesday, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick acknowledged that he had met with Jeffrey Epstein twice after his 2008 conviction for soliciting prostitution from a child, reversing Lutnick’s previous claim that he had cut ties with Epstein

Julie Bickelhaupt: Rising property taxes, declining affordability, rural hospital access, local agriculture, and the need for reliable infrastructure are constant concerns I hear across the district. Read Bickelhaupt's full election questionnaire here

During the closed-door deposition Monday, Maxwell’s attorney David Oscar Markus said in a statement to the committee that “Maxwell is prepared to speak fully and honestly if granted clemency by President Trump.”

March 17 marks the 2026 primary, where Kane County voters can pull a Democratic or Republican ballot to pick who appears on the ballot come November. All voters, partisan or not, can weigh in on referendum questions.

March 17 marks the 2026 primary, where DuPage County voters can pull a Democratic or Republican ballot to pick who appears on the ballot come November. All voters, partisan or not, can weigh in on referendum questions.

March 17 marks the 2026 primary, where Will County voters can pull a Democratic or Republican ballot to pick who appears on the ballot come November. All voters, partisan or not, can weigh in on referendum questions.

March 17 marks the 2026 primary, where Ogle County voters can pull a Democratic or Republican ballot to pick who appears on the ballot come November. All voters, partisan or not, can weigh in on referendum questions.

March 17 marks the 2026 primary, where La Salle, Bureau and Putnam county voters can pull a Democratic or Republican ballot to pick who appears on the ballot come November. All voters, partisan or not, can weigh in on referendum questions.

March 17 marks the 2026 primary, where Grundy County voters can pull a Democratic or Republican ballot to pick who appears on the ballot come November. All voters, partisan or not, can weigh in on referendum questions.

March 17 marks the 2026 primary, where Kankakee County voters can pull a Democratic or Republican ballot to pick who appears on the ballot come November. All voters, partisan or not, can weigh in on referendum questions.

March 17 marks the 2026 primary, where Kendall County voters can pull a Democratic or Republican ballot to pick who appears on the ballot come November. All voters, partisan or not, can weigh in on referendum questions.

Skylar Duensing: On day one of my time in office, I will immediately work to lower taxes and make life more affordable, secure our borders and enhance public safety, and promote job growth and American manufacturing. Read Duensing's full questionnaire here

Don Tracy on top priorities for the U.S. Senate: I will push for common sense solutions that make life more affordable for working families. This includes lowering energy and gas costs, health care costs, taxes, and inflation. Read Tracy's full election questionnaire here

Steve Botsford, U.S. Senate candidate: Allowing large financial firms to buy up large numbers of single-family homes distorts local markets and makes it harder for families to buy or rent at reasonable prices. Read Botsford's full election questionnaire here

Pamela Denise Long on immigration priorities: 1. No amnesty. 2. Change the “nation of immigrants” rhetoric. 3. Change the “legal good/illegal bad” narrative: Mass immigration both legal and illegal hurts the American citizen. Read Long's full election questionnaire here

Bryan Maxwell, a senate candidate on his top priority: Passing Medicare for All, to begin gradual transition of Americans to the Medicare program. Read Maxwell's full election questionnaire here

Jonathan Dean on a top priority for the U.S. Senate: Addressing the affordability crisis by temporarily allowing folks to use pretax dollars for everyday necessities, such as groceries, child care, and student loan payments. Read Dean's full questionnaire here

Robin Kelly: People are paying too much for healthcare. I will never give up fighting for Americans to have access to quality care. As a member of the Medicare for All Caucus, I am working to make Medicare for All the law of the land. Read Kelly's full questionnaire here

Willie Preston on a top priority for the Second District: Appropriate money for a new Level II trauma center within the starved 2nd District

Marcus Lewis on top priorities for Congress: Revitalization of the first district with the infusion of new business investment with MAGA/America First Policies. Read his full questionnaire here

Sean Casten: At the end of Biden’s administration, GDP was growing, job creation was surging, unemployment was low, and prices were coming down. All of those trends have slowed or reversed under Donald Trump. Read his full questionnaire here

Niki Conforti, congressional candidate: "I support expanding ICE and deporting violent criminals." Read Conforti's full questionnaire here

Phil Andrew: We are witnessing a dangerous concentration of executive power that undermines the checks and balances our democracy depends on. Read Andrew's full election questionnaire here

Sam Polan: My priorities are simple: make life more affordable, protect our democracy and the rule of law, and restore competence and trust in our government. Read Polan's full election questionnaire here

John Elleson on his top legislative priorities: "Addiction and mental health services, immigration reform, fiscal responsibility." Read Elleson's full election questionnaire here

Mike Simmons: 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. Read his full election questionnaire here

Bushra Amiwala on top priorities for Congress: In Illinois’ 9th District, three urgent challenges shape daily life: affordability, education, and healthcare. My first year in Congress will focus on delivering real relief in each of these areas. Read Amiwala's questionnaire here

Laura Fine on a top priority for Congress: Grocery prices and overall inflation remain unacceptably high for most Americans, and families are feeling the strain every single day. To improve the economic outlook, we must take decisive steps. Read Fine's full questionnaire here

March 17 marks the 2026 primary, where McHenry County voters can pull a Democratic or Republican ballot to pick who appears on the ballot come November. All voters, partisan or not, can weigh in on referendum questions.

Jeff Walter: I support strong border security and the continued mission of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, because a nation without secure borders cannot enforce the rule of law or protect public safety. Read Walter's full election questionnaire here

Yasmeen Bankole: Our rail infrastructure has lagged behind that of other advanced nations. It’s time to treat passenger rail not as an afterthought, but as a vital government service. Read Bankole's full election questionnaire here

Sanjyot Dunung: If elected, my top three legislative priorities in my first year in the U.S. House will focus on restoring affordability, strengthening economic security, and defending our democracy through competent, responsible governance

Mark Rice on top priorities for the district: Restore and strengthen the middle class, Crackdown on government waste and corruption, Apply a “liberty litmus” test to legislation and policy. Read Rice's full election questionnaire here

Dan Tully: My Trump Accountability Plan will ensure that we protect the institutional mechanisms necessary to pursue those solutions. As such, the top three legislative priorities are to enact the policies under each of the three Articles in my Trump Accountability Plan

Should private equity and hedge funds be allowed to purchase so many homes? Congressional candidate Barry Wicker: "Yes." Read his full questionnaire here

From Capitol News Illinois: The Chicago woman who Border Patrol agents shot five times last October called the incident an attempted “execution.” Court documents state Martinez’s vehicle collided with a federal agent’s although it is undetermined which vehicle initiated the crash

President Donald Trump signed a roughly $1.2 trillion government funding bill Tuesday that ends the partial federal shutdown that began over the weekend and sets the stage for an intense debate in Congress over Homeland Security funding

The House on Tuesday passed a roughly $1.2 trillion spending package to end the partial government shutdown, sending the measure to President Donald Trump and setting the stage for a debate in Congress over Homeland Security funding

Former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton agreed late Monday to testify in a House investigation into convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, but the Republican leading the probe said an agreement had not yet been finalized

Do you believe any conduct of the current administration needs to be investigated? James Marter: None, but we should Investigate the Fraud perpetuated on the American People in Minnesota for start, by the Biden Administration. Read Marter's full questionnaire here

From Capitol News Illinois: Gov. JB Pritzker donated $5 million in December to a political action committee supporting Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton’s U.S. Senate bid, according to federal campaign finance records filed over the weekend

March 17 marks the 2026 primary, where Whiteside, Lee and Carroll county voters can pull a Democratic or Republican ballot to pick who appears on the ballot come November. All voters, partisan or not, can weigh in on referendum questions.

March 17 marks the 2026 primary, where DeKalb County voters can pull a Democratic or Republican ballot to pick who appears on the ballot come November. All voters, partisan or not, can weigh in on referendum questions.

From Capitol News Illinois: For the first time in five years, certain forms of student loan forgiveness will be taxable following a change in federal tax policy this year. And those tax implications could extend to Illinois state taxes as well unless lawmakers act

From Capitol News Illinois: The trio agreed that President Donald Trump’s second term has plunged America into a constitutional crisis

Democrats and White House struck a deal to avert a partial government shutdown and temporarily fund the Department of Homeland Security on Thursday

Democrats voted to block legislation to fund the Department of Homeland Security and several other agencies Thursday as they continued to negotiate with Republicans and the White House on new restrictions for immigration enforcement