Incumbent Raja Krishnamoorthi and Junaid Ahmed are running in the Democratic primary for Illinois’ 8th Congressional District on June 28, 2022.
Krishnamoorthi was first elected to represent the 8th District in 2016. Before entering office, Krishnamoorthi was a partner at the law firm Kirkland & Ellis, president of a research and development company, and a policy director on former President Barack Obama’s U.S. Senate campaign in 2004.
Krishnamoorthi, who immigrated to the U.S. as a child, emphasized his experience in office and said he “has worked his hardest to ensure other Americans have the same opportunities his family had to achieve the American Dream.” He said he “co-authored successful legislation to expand federal support for career and technical education” and “[advocated] for protecting Social Security and Medicare.” Krishnamoorthi received endorsements from the Chicago Tribune and Planned Parenthood Action Fund.
Ahmed worked in professional services and information technology consulting and highlighted his volunteer experience with organizations including Meals on Wheels and organizing events on universal healthcare.
In a Candidate Connection survey submitted to Ballotpedia, Ahmed said, “I believe that economic justice, healthcare, and education are basic human rights,” adding, “Tuition-free education, Medicare for All, and a federal jobs program are policies that are supported by the vast majority of voters on both sides of the aisle and yet year after year, working people continue to struggle with no relief offered from our representatives.” Ahmed received endorsements from Our Revolution and Peace Action.
Krishnamoorthi raised the 10th most money of all House Democratic incumbents this cycle, according to reports filed with the Federal Election Commission. As of March 31, Krishnamoorthi raised $5.6 million and Ahmed raised $826,832.
Ahmed criticized Krishnamoorthi on this point, saying, “[W]e are being represented by a political class who are more interested in representing the needs of their corporate donors … than in representing the needs of the hard working families of the 8th district.”
In a debate hosted by the Daily Herald, Krishnamoorthi said, “I raise as much as I can because I go after the special interests in Washington … You can ask the rental car companies, the meat processing companies, the oil and gas companies that I’m now investigating what they think of me.”
Following redistricting, the 8th District remained in the Chicago area. As of June 2022, three race forecasters rated the general election as Solid or Safe Democratic.
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