Similar to the state’s 3rd District, Illinois’s 1st District is also safely Democratic. In addition, this is another majority-minority district, and a Black representative has held the seat for nearly the last two decades. Following the retirement of Rep. Bobby Rush, though, it’s an open question as to who will replace him in Congress. While 17 Democrats have filed for the seat, tonight’s race is considered competitive among five candidates: Business owner and nonprofit leader Jonathan Swain; Chicago Alderwoman Pat Dowell; Chicago Cook Workforce Partnership CEO Karin Norington-Reaves; state Sen. Jacqueline Collins; and Jonathan Jackson, the son of civil rights leader Rev. Jesse Jackson.
With 10 percent of the expected vote in, it looks like Jackson has a decent lead at 26 percent. His closest competitor, Dowell, is sitting at 20 percent.
Latest count in Illinois’s 1st District Democratic primary
Results of the Democratic primary for Illinois’s 1st Congressional District, as of 8:39 p.m. Eastern
| Candidate | Votes | Vote % |
|---|---|---|
| Jonathan L. Jackson | 3,781 | 26.3% |
| Pat Dowell | 2,862 | 19.9 |
| Karin Norington-Reaves | 2,212 | 15.4 |
| Jacqueline “Jacqui” Collins | 1,771 | 12.3 |
| Chris Butler | 787 | 5.5 |
| Jahmal Cole | 684 | 4.8 |
| Jonathan T. Swain | 438 | 3.0 |
| Michael A. Thompson Jr. | 339 | 2.4 |
| Charise A. Williams | 305 | 2.1 |
| Cassandra Goodrum | 253 | 1.8 |
| Terre Layng Rosner | 199 | 1.4 |
| Robert A. Palmer | 179 | 1.2 |
| Nykea Pippion McGriff | 175 | 1.2 |
| Marcus Lewis | 153 | 1.1 |
| Ameena Matthews | 116 | 0.8 |
| Kirby Birgans | 80 | 0.6 |
| Steven DeJoie | 46 | 0.3 |