Race · November 3, 2026

U.S. House · Illinois's 8th District

2 candidates on the ballot — an open seat, with no incumbent running.1

§1Candidates

Why this matters: Every candidate the state lists for this race on the November ballot, in the state's own order.

Melissa L. Bean
Democratic · Open seat
Jennifer Davis
Republican · Open seat

§2Side by side

Why this matters: The same facts for every candidate, in the same order. Where we found nothing for a candidate, the cell says so — that means we didn't find it in public sources, not that it doesn't exist.

Scroll sideways on small screens. Select a name for the full page.
Melissa L. BeanJennifer Davis
Party on the ballotDemocratic1Republican1
StatusOpen seatOpen seat
Raised$2,457,207 through October 14, 20262$1,782,175 through October 14, 20263
Cash on hand$301,7142$279,7473
Outside spending$6,616,132 for · $108,946 against4Not found in the public sources we checked
Vouchers and education savings accounts
No public money for private school or homeschooling costs
Her campaign website says she will stand with teachers and public schools by opposing vouchers that drain schools of tax dollars.5		Her campaign website says she supports a range of educational options, including public, charter, private and home schools, so families can choose what works best for their children.6
Immigration enforcement inside the countryHer campaign website says she will oppose President Trump's mass deportation and family separation policies and demand accountability and constitutional due process in immigration enforcement.5Her campaign website says she will work to deport noncitizens who are criminals and to depoliticize the immigration process.6

Issues only one candidate has addressed

By candidate, in ballot order. We found nothing public from the other candidates in this race on these issues.

Melissa L. Bean — 24 issues
  • Abortion law
    Legal until about 24 weeks, as under Roe v. Wade, and later to protect the woman's life or health
    Her campaign website says she is committed to codifying the rights and protections afforded under Roe v. Wade and to opposing any federal abortion ban.5
  • Birth control and IVF
    Her campaign website says she is committed to defending access to abortion, contraception and IVF nationwide.5
  • Government funding and abortion
    Her campaign website says that in Congress she consistently voted against what it calls Republican attempts to use the Hyde Amendment to deny reproductive choice for low-income women.5
  • Who sets abortion law
    A national law making abortion legal in every state, at least until viability, as under Roe v. Wade
    Her campaign website says she is committed to codifying the rights and protections afforded under Roe v. Wade and defending access to abortion, contraception and IVF nationwide.5
  • Discrimination protections for sexual orientation and gender identity
    Her campaign website says she will protect civil rights by defending equal treatment in housing, employment, health care and public life for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Americans.5
  • Cryptocurrency rules
    Her campaign website says she will support clear, pro-innovation regulatory frameworks for digital assets that provide certainty and protect consumers.5
  • Small business loans and programs
    Her campaign website says she will expand access to affordable capital for small businesses, reduce unnecessary red tape while maintaining strong consumer protections, and support local economic development and entrepreneurship.5
  • Union organizing rules
    Her campaign website says she will protect the right to organize and collectively bargain and strengthen workplace safety and labor enforcement.5
  • Who sets tariffs
    Her campaign website says the founders gave Congress the power over taxation, tariffs and war, and that she is running to help restore the balance of powers.7
  • US Department of Education
    Keep the department and its programs, or expand it
    Her campaign website says she will fight to restore the U.S. Department of Education and the funding it provides to community schools.5
  • Campaign finance rules
    Limit spending by outside groups, including by amending the Constitution to overturn Citizens United
    Her campaign website says she will require full disclosure of political spending to stop dark money, support small-donor and public financing reforms, and work to overturn the effects of Citizens United.5
  • Voting by mail
    Her campaign website says she will protect and expand voting rights, including early and mail-in voting.5
  • Air pollution limits
    Her campaign website says she will protect clean air and water by curbing or removing super-pollutants and holding polluters accountable.5
  • Same-sex marriage
    Keep same-sex marriage legal in every state
    Her campaign website says she will fight efforts to reverse constitutional protections for marriage equality, and that she voted against the 2006 Federal Marriage Amendment.5
  • Who decides on military action
    Her campaign website says the founders gave Congress the power over taxation, tariffs and war, and that she is running to help restore the balance of powers.7
  • ACA premium tax credits
    Her campaign website says she will work to extend the tax credits that have lowered premiums for families in the 8th District.5
  • Federal Medicaid funding
    Reverse the 2025 changes or increase federal funding
    Her campaign website says she will reverse the Republican Medicaid cuts.5
  • Health insurance system
    Her campaign website says she will protect and strengthen the Affordable Care Act, including protections for pre-existing conditions, and that as a member of Congress she voted for it.5
  • Legal status for immigrants here without permission, including Dreamers
    A path to citizenship for most who meet requirements such as background checks
    Her campaign website says she will support comprehensive immigration reform with a pathway to citizenship, and that she voted for the DREAM Act.5
  • Masks and identification for immigration officers
    Her campaign website says greater oversight of ICE, including body cameras, is necessary and should be federally mandated.5
  • State and local role in immigration enforcement
    Her campaign website says local police should be able to order ICE or CBP to cease and desist, or arrest them, when they act outside their scope of authority.5
  • Medicare drug price negotiation
    Keep the program as it is
    Her campaign website says she will continue to allow Medicare to negotiate directly to lower prescription drug prices.5
  • Children and social media
    Her campaign website says she will hold tech companies accountable for harmful practices, strengthen protections for children's privacy and mental health online, close loopholes children use to bypass age restrictions, and support school efforts to ban phones during class time.5
  • Rules for artificial intelligence
    Her campaign website says she will establish clear rules that protect rights and safety without hampering innovation.5
Jennifer Davis — 4 issues
  • Police funding
    Her campaign website says Illinois already ranks sixth in the nation for police spending, that accountability to existing laws and smarter use of resources are needed rather than higher taxes, and that she will work with law enforcement to secure advanced training, modern equipment and technology.6
  • Border wall and barriers
    Her campaign website says she supports immigration reform that secures the border with advanced technology and enforces existing laws.6
  • Legal immigration levels
    Her campaign website says she supports streamlining legal immigration pathways to make them faster, clearer and fairer, and prioritizing legal immigration for skilled workers.6
  • Business tax breaks
    Her campaign website says she will help small businesses by cutting excessive taxes, streamlining regulations and opening new pathways for growth through community partnerships and smart tax incentives.6

Issue statements are drafted by AI from the public sources cited, and only cover what each candidate has said publicly.