Who's running in Illinois's 1st congressional district
2 candidates are on the ballot. Below is what each one says they stand for, what they have actually done in office or in public life, and the arguments published for and against them — each quoted from a named source rather than summarised by us.
2 candidates · ballot order · Jonathan Jackson currently holds this seat
Medium confidenceMedium confidenceThe candidate's stated positions and basic record are documented, but coverage is thin — often little independent reporting, or criticism from only one side.What would raise it: More independent reporting, a documented voting record, or published criticism from a named opponent would raise this.
What they say they stand for
Their own words. Claims, not verified facts.
Protecting Medicaid, SNAP and other federal safety-net spending from Republican cuts.
Federal infrastructure and transport investment directed at the South Side and the south suburbs.
Abortion rights, having been endorsed by Planned Parenthood Action Fund.
Gun violence prevention, having been endorsed by Giffords.
A negotiated two-state settlement in the Middle East, having been endorsed by J Street.
What they’ve actually done
Documented record from official sources.
U.S. Representative for the 1st District since January 2023; re-elected in 2024 with 65.8% of the vote.
Won the March 17, 2026 Democratic primary unopposed with 89,662 votes.
Reported $352,025 raised and $89,382 on hand as of the April 25, 2026 FEC filing.
Missed 77 of 1,886 roll call votes, 4.1%, between January 2023 and July 2026, against a 2.0% median for sitting representatives, according to GovTrack.
Introduced the fewest bills of any member of the Illinois delegation in 2024, according to GovTrack's report card.
Arguments in favor
Organised labour in Chicago has lined up behind him: the Chicago Federation of Labor, the Illinois AFL-CIO, the Chicago Teachers Union, Operating Engineers Locals 150 and 399, Plumbers Local 130 and two SEIU bodies have all endorsed his re-election.
— Chicago Federation of Labor, Illinois AFL-CIO, Chicago Teachers Union and the endorsing unions
Issue-advocacy groups on abortion, gun violence and consumer policy have endorsed him, treating him as a reliable vote on their priorities.
— Planned Parenthood Action Fund, Giffords, Citizen Action Illinois and J Street
Arguments against
He broke the federal disclosure law for the second time since taking office, filing weeks and in some cases months late on 31 stock trades made by his wife in stocks including Amazon, Eli Lilly, Goldman Sachs, IBM, Meta and T-Mobile, worth somewhere between about $30,000 and $450,000; his office called it an oversight and the penalty was a small fine.
— OpenSecrets investigation, August 2025
He disclosed holdings in Palantir, a contractor to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, while publicly condemning federal immigration enforcement in Chicago — reporting that put his own portfolio against his stated politics.
— Chicago Sun-Times, January 2026
What we couldn’t verify
No National Republican Congressional Committee material naming Jackson for the 2026 cycle could be found.
Criticism from the 2022 primary over independent expenditures by cryptocurrency-linked groups is on the record, but it dates from that cycle and concerns spending Jackson said he did not seek, so it is not presented as a current argument.
His campaign's own 2026 platform document was not located; the positions above are drawn from his endorsements and his congressional statements.
School choice and parental rights, including parents being able to see curriculum and library materials.
Backing law enforcement while addressing youth crime through education and structure rather than punishment alone.
Lower taxes and cost-of-living relief for middle-income households.
Rebuilding domestic manufacturing and supply chains, and a more balanced trade relationship with China while supporting Taiwan's defence.
Opposing further firearms restrictions in favour of responsible ownership and concealed carry.
Courts that apply the law as written rather than making policy.
What they’ve actually done
Documented record from official sources.
Bachelor's degree from the University of Illinois Chicago, 2012; graduate of Belleville Township East High School.
Works as an e-commerce growth marketing consultant and business strategist; has not held elected office.
Declared her candidacy in April 2025 and won the March 17, 2026 Republican primary against Marcus Lewis with about 65%.
Reported $32,135 raised and $35,123 on hand as of the April 25, 2026 FEC filing.
Has said she is targeting Will County, where she argues Republican voters are under-mobilised, and estimates she needs roughly 115,000 votes to win.
Arguments in favor
We found none published about this candidate in the sources reviewed.
Arguments against
We found none published about this candidate in the sources reviewed.
What we couldn’t verify
No published criticism of Maxwell by name could be found. Searched: her name with 'criticism', with 'opponent', against Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee material, against Jonathan Jackson's campaign, and against Chicago and Will County news coverage. Nothing critical of her by name was published. Because no case against her exists on the record, no case for her is presented either, rather than showing her own campaign's case unanswered.
The Chicago Tribune editorial board made no endorsement in the 1st District Republican primary, but published no reasoning that could be quoted.
A referenced endorsement from an anti-abortion political committee could not be confirmed against a readable source.
She has criticised the Illinois Republican Party for what she called a lack of meaningful support for candidates, saying her help has come from county-level Republican organisations instead.
Positions and criticism are quoted from the named sources, not our assessments. This is built to help you start getting informed — confirm the official candidate list with your election authority before you vote.
Illinois held its primary on March 17, 2026. Two candidates are on the November ballot: Democratic incumbent Jonathan Jackson, who was unopposed in his primary, and Republican Christian Maxwell, who defeated Marcus Lewis with about 65% of the Republican vote. The district runs from Chicago's South Side out through exurban and rural parts of Cook, Will and Kankakee counties. Roster confirmed against the Illinois State Board of Elections candidate list and Ballotpedia. Substantial published criticism exists for the incumbent and none could be found for the challenger; rather than present a one-sided case, the challenger's entry carries no arguments in either column and the searches that came up empty are named in her unknowns.
This is one contest on a longer ballot
A Illinois ballot also carries state legislative districts, county offices, judicial seats and often local questions — and which of them you vote on is decided by your street address, not your city or ZIP code.
Your ballot is determined by your election authority, not by us. Verify your registration, precinct, and sample ballot at Illinois State Board of Elections.