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Ballot Explained

U.S. House · November 3, 2026

Who's running in Illinois's 3rd 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.

Candidates
2
Incumbent
Delia Ramirez
Parties
Democratic · Republican
State primary
Mar 17

Candidates appear in ballot order. We do not rank them, score them, or recommend one — here is how this is put together, and here is what the office actually does.

2 candidates · ballot order · Delia Ramirez 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.

  • Ending Immigration and Customs Enforcement's detention and monitoring funding, through the Melt ICE Act she introduced with Yvette Clarke.
  • Congressional oversight of the Department of Homeland Security; she was the first member to call for Secretary Kristi Noem's resignation.
  • Access for members of Congress to the Broadview ICE processing centre and to detained constituents.
  • Abortion rights and reproductive health care, including for people in immigration detention.
  • Gun violence prevention.
  • An end to U.S. military support for Israel's war in Gaza.

What they’ve actually done

Documented record from official sources.

  • U.S. Representative for the 3rd District since January 2023; re-elected in 2024 with 67.3%.
  • Illinois state representative for the 4th district, 2019 to 2023.
  • Won the March 17, 2026 Democratic primary unopposed with 72,443 votes.
  • Voted against the April 2024 supplemental aid package that included funding for Israel, one of three Illinois Democrats to do so.
  • Introduced the Melt ICE Act with Rep. Yvette Clarke, which would end DHS funding to detain or monitor immigrants and redirect it to housing and health services.
  • Led 71 members of Congress in January 2026 in demanding House Judiciary Committee hearings into Secretary Noem's conduct.

Arguments in favor

  • Chicago's labour federation and national progressive organisations have endorsed her, treating her as one of the most reliable votes in Congress on their priorities.

    — Chicago Federation of Labor, Justice Democrats, Our Revolution and End Citizens United

  • Groups working on abortion access, gun violence and Middle East diplomacy have endorsed her re-election.

    — Planned Parenthood Action Fund, Giffords and J Street

Arguments against

  • The White House condemned her after she told a conference in Mexico City, in Spanish, that she is "a proud Guatemalan before I'm an American" and accused the United States of imperialism; a White House spokesperson called the remarks despicable and said they showed a commitment to putting Americans last.

    — White House spokesperson Liz Huston, reported by Fox News, August 2025

  • The state Republican party has singled her out, with two other Chicago Democrats, for voting against an aid package for Israel, presenting the vote as evidence of where the Illinois Democratic delegation stands.

    — Illinois Republican Party

What we couldn’t verify

  • No National Republican Congressional Committee page naming Ramirez for the 2026 cycle could be found, although Republicans have attacked the Melt ICE Act generally as an attempt to gut law enforcement.
  • Her campaign website address could not be confirmed against a live page.
  • Her 2026 fundraising was not established from sources read.
Their campaign site ↗Sources:ramirez.house.govramirez.house.govfoxnews.comillinois.gopchicago.suntimes.com19thnews.orgen.wikipedia.org

What they say they stand for

Their own words. Claims, not verified facts.

  • Government accountability: performance measures, audits and reporting requirements attached to House-allocated funds, and stronger whistleblower protections.
  • Civil liberties and an end to what she calls the surveillance state.
  • Medical freedom and parents' rights in schools.
  • Smaller government, lower taxes and reducing the federal deficit and debt.
  • Free-market competition and an end to corporate capture of regulation.
  • Promoting peace accords and ending overseas wars.

What they’ve actually done

Documented record from official sources.

  • Former village trustee, Village of Winfield.
  • Owner of a marketing and communications firm; cannabis educator and CBD consultant; adjunct instructor.
  • B.A. in management and leadership, summa cum laude, and a master's in organisational leadership, both from Judson University.
  • Write-in candidate for this district in 2024; won the March 17, 2026 Republican primary.
  • Resident of Wheaton, DuPage County.

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 Oakley by name could be found. Searched: her name with 'criticism', with 'opponent', against Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee material, against Delia Ramirez's campaign, and against DuPage County and Chicago coverage. 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.
  • Her campaign site carries named recommendations from people who worked with her as a Winfield trustee — attorney Scott Pointner, bank manager Kathe Doremus and developer Bob Meiborg — but these are testimonials she publishes herself rather than an outside endorsement.
  • Her fundraising was not established from sources read.
Their campaign site ↗Sources:libertyangel.uslibertyangel.uslibertyangel.usballotpedia.orgfec.gov

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. Democratic incumbent Delia Ramirez was unopposed for renomination; Republican Angel Oakley won her party's primary. The district covers north-west Chicago and parts of DuPage County. Roster confirmed against Ballotpedia and the Illinois State Board of Elections candidate list. Published criticism exists for the incumbent and none naming the challenger could be found, so the challenger's entry carries no arguments in either column and the named recommendations on her own campaign site are recorded in her unknowns rather than presented as a one-sided case.

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