Race · November 3, 2026
U.S. House · Illinois's 9th 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.
§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.
| Fact | Daniel Biss | John Elleson |
|---|---|---|
| Party on the ballot | Democratic1 | Republican1 |
| Status | Open seat | Open seat |
| Raised | $3,446,463 through October 14, 20262 | Not found in the public sources we checked |
| Cash on hand | $608,8832 | Not found in the public sources we checked |
| Outside spending | $1,219,420 for · $1,426,379 against3 | Not found in the public sources we checked |
| Police funding | His campaign website lists among his record as mayor working with police and community leaders to create a program that sends social workers and others, rather than police, to respond to low-risk service calls.4 | His campaign website says he would support law enforcement with resources and training rooted in de-escalation and community trust.5 |
| Health insurance system | One government plan for everyone (Medicare for All) His campaign website says the country should pass Medicare for All, a national single-payer system providing universal coverage.6, | His campaign website says he supports community-first healthcare policies, including expanding local clinics and affordability initiatives without federal overreach.5 |
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.
Daniel Biss — 62 issues
- Abortion law
- Abortion medicationHis campaign website says protecting abortion rights includes protecting access to mifepristone and misoprostol, the pills used for medication abortion.8
- Birth control and IVFHis campaign website says he will enact federal safeguards against state efforts to restrict contraception and reproductive technologies such as IVF.8
- Government funding and abortionLet Medicaid and other public programs cover abortion (ending the Hyde Amendment)His campaign website says he will end the Hyde Amendment and roll back the cuts to Planned Parenthood passed in the Republican budget.8
- Who sets abortion lawA national law making abortion legal in every state, at least until viability, as under Roe v. WadeHis campaign website says Congress should codify abortion rights and that federal law should guarantee the right to safe, legal abortion in all 50 states.8
- Discrimination protections for sexual orientation and gender identityPass broad protections such as the Equality ActHis campaign website says he will pass the Equality Act, which it says bans discrimination based on sex, sexual orientation and gender identity in housing, employment, education, health care and public services.8
- Ethics rules for Supreme Court justicesPass a law setting a binding ethics code, with outside review of complaints and recusal decisionsHis campaign website says he will work to codify an ethics code for federal courts, including the Supreme Court, with disclosure requirements, an independent authority to investigate complaints and a binding recusal process.9
- Social media content rulesHis campaign website says he supports forcing social media platforms to disclose how content is promoted and to allow researchers to study their algorithms, and requiring platforms to strengthen safeguards against coordinated disinformation, bots and overseas troll farms.10
- Supreme Court term limitsSet fixed terms, such as 18 yearsHis campaign website says he supports 18-year term limits for Supreme Court justices.9
- Voting Rights Act protectionsRestore and widen protections by law, such as federal approval of voting changes in places with a history of discrimination (for example, the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act)
- Collective bargaining for public employeesGuarantee bargaining rights for public employees nationwide
- Federal minimum wageRaise to $15 or moreHis campaign website says the federal minimum wage should be raised to $17 an hour and indexed to inflation.11
- TariffsLower or remove most tariffsHis campaign website says the country should get rid of the tariffs President Trump imposed, which it describes as a tax on working people.13
- Union organizing rulesMake it easier to form a union (for example, the PRO Act)His campaign website says he will pass the PRO Act, which it says would make it easier for workers to form unions, ban employer interference and hold lawbreaking companies accountable with real penalties, and that he supports banning captive audience meetings.11
- Who sets tariffsHis campaign website says no president should have the authority to create tariffs by social media post, and that he supports pending bipartisan legislation that would limit the president's power to impose tariffs without the approval of Congress.14
- Books in school libraries
- Student loan forgivenessBroad cancellation of student debtHis campaign website says Congress should pass legislation forgiving student loan debt for the vast majority of borrowers, and that he will champion loan forgiveness programs for students who enter public service careers.12
- Tuition-free collegeFree tuition at public colleges and universities
- US Department of EducationKeep the department and its programs, or expand itHis campaign website says he will work to stop cuts to the U.S. Department of Education and ensure it is adequately funded and staffed.12
- Campaign finance rulesLimit spending by outside groups, including by amending the Constitution to overturn Citizens UnitedHis campaign website says the Constitution should be amended to overturn Citizens United and get corporate money out of politics, and that he supports the Government by the People Act, a small-donor matching system.9
- Drawing district lines (redistricting)His campaign website says he will champion federal legislation to ban partisan gerrymandering and ensure districts are compact, contiguous and protect communities of interest, and that he supports a national ban on mid-decade redistricting.9
- Stock trading by members of CongressBan members themselves from trading individual stocksHis campaign website says members of Congress should be banned from trading stocks, and that he pledges never to trade stocks while in Congress.9
- Clean energy tax creditsRestore the credits the 2025 law ended or cut backHis campaign website says he will reinstate the climate provisions of the Inflation Reduction Act and pass a new budget bill to reverse cuts to wind, solar, energy efficiency and electric vehicle infrastructure.16
- International climate agreementsRejoin the Paris Agreement and the UN climate treaty, and set new emissions goalsHis campaign website says the country should rejoin and strengthen global climate agreements, including the Paris Accords.17
- Permitting for energy projectsHis campaign website says he will support regulatory changes that make it easier to build new renewable energy capacity.16
- Conservation and development on federal landsHis campaign website says he will invest in habitat restoration and conservation and push back against efforts to weaken protections for public lands, waterways and endangered species.16
- Endangered species protectionsHis campaign website says he will push back against efforts to weaken protections for public lands, waterways and endangered species.16
- Child care costsMake child care free, or cap what families pay at a set share of income (such as 7%), paid for with new public fundingHis campaign website says he will fight for legislation so that no family spends more than 7 percent of its income on child care, and lists building a nationwide public child care system among his priorities.6
- Child tax creditHis campaign website says he will expand the Child Tax Credit and the Earned Income Tax Credit.13
- Aid to UkraineHis campaign website says the country should provide Ukraine with military and humanitarian aid, with oversight to ensure accountability and effectiveness, while pushing for a diplomatic path to end the war.17
- Foreign aidRestore or increase foreign aid, including programs cut in 2025His campaign website says he will work to reopen USAID and other diplomatic agencies closed by the Trump administration, increase international climate aid and expand funding for global health.17
- Iran's nuclear program and sanctionsHis campaign website says a nuclear Iran is unacceptable and that the country should work to stop Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon through diplomacy rather than military strikes.17
- Military spendingCut military spendingHis campaign website says he will work to shift resources from the Pentagon budget to diplomatic efforts, humanitarian aid and global development, and to fight back against large military spending.17
- Who decides on military actionRequire Congress to approve military action in advance, except to defend against an attackHis campaign website says he will work to sunset outdated authorizations for use of military force and require congressional approval for future military actions.17
- AR-15-style riflesBan the sale of these riflesHis campaign website says he will work to restore the federal ban on military-style assault weapons and limit high-capacity magazines.18
- Background checks for gun salesRequire checks for all gun sales, including private sales (with exceptions such as gifts between family members)His campaign website says every gun sale, whether at a store, a gun show or online, should require a background check.18
- Red flag lawsAdopt more red flag laws, including a national oneHis campaign website lists red flag laws among the gun reforms he will fight for, saying they work when they are actually used.18
- ACA premium tax creditsHis campaign website says the Republican budget cuts Affordable Care Act premium support and that reversing those policies immediately will be step one.6
- Federal Medicaid fundingReverse the 2025 changes or increase federal funding
- Medical transition for minorsNo legal limits; leave decisions to patients, parents and doctorsHis campaign website says he will defend the right of individuals and families to make private medical decisions, including about gender-affirming care, without government interference.8
- Help for first-time homebuyersHis campaign website says he will expand rental assistance and provide down-payment support for families shut out of homeownership.6
- Large investors buying single-family homes
- Zoning and new housingGive extra state or federal money to communities that allow more homesHis campaign website says he will reward pro-housing zoning policies, such as legalizing apartments near transit and lowering parking minimums, by making them a condition of receiving federal transportation grants.6
- Asylum rulesHis campaign website says asylum is a right and that he will work for an asylum system that ensures speedy processing, access to representation and a fair hearing for every asylum seeker.19
- Immigration enforcement inside the countryAbolish ICE and move any remaining enforcement work to other agenciesHis campaign website says ICE must be abolished, that immigration enforcement should target real threats such as violent criminals and human traffickers, and that raids should be allowed only in cases involving suspects with violent criminal records.19
- Legal immigration levelsHis campaign website says he will work to fix the visa system, modernize quotas and cut wait times for legal entry.19
- Legal status for immigrants here without permission, including DreamersA path to citizenship for most who meet requirements such as background checksHis campaign website says he will work to pass the American Dream and Promise Act and provide a clear, fair path to citizenship for DACA recipients and others.19
- Refugee admissionsHis campaign website says he will fully fund refugee resettlement programs and expand asylum programs.17
- Medicare dental, vision and hearing coverageHis campaign website says Medicare should be expanded to include vision and dental coverage.7
- Medicare drug price negotiationExpand it to more drugs and to people with private insurance
- Social Security benefit levelsIncrease benefits, for example with larger yearly cost-of-living raisesHis campaign website says he will champion a bill that would increase Social Security benefits by $200 a month.7
- Social Security payroll tax capAlso tax earnings above a higher level, such as $250,000 or $400,000His campaign website says he will champion a bill that would increase Social Security benefits by $200 a month, paid for by applying the Social Security tax to incomes over $250,000.7
- Business tax breaks
- Corporate tax rateRaise it, for example to 25% or 28%, or back to the 35% top rate in place before 2018His campaign website says he will reverse Donald Trump's corporate tax cut and close loopholes that let corporations shift profits offshore.13
- Federal income tax ratesRaise rates on high incomes only (for example, above $400,000)His campaign website says he will immediately roll back the Trump tax cuts for the highest earners and tax capital gains at the same rate as wages for anyone making more than $1 million a year.13
- Targeted tax breaks for individuals and familiesExpand these breaks and make more of them refundable, so families who owe little income tax also benefit
- Taxes on very large fortunesA yearly tax on net worth above a high threshold (such as $50 million)His campaign website says he will implement a modest wealth tax on the assets of billionaires and ultra-millionaires.13
- The president's power over approved spendingAdd penalties and faster court enforcement when approved money is held backHis campaign website says he will work to pass the Protecting Our Constitution and Communities Act, which it says would create a right of action for individuals, states and local governments harmed by illegal cuts to congressionally authorized funds.14
- Children and social mediaRequire safer designs and settings for minors, and parental consent for younger usersHis campaign website says Congress should ban features designed to capture children's attention, such as endless scroll and autoplay, raise the age at which data collection is allowed, and mandate parental control tools.10
- Data privacyHis campaign website says he supports laws that give people the right to see the data tech companies have stored about them, ask to have it deleted and take it to other sites.10
- Rules for artificial intelligenceHis campaign website says Congress must develop a policy framework that promotes American leadership in artificial intelligence and encourages responsible development to create good-paying jobs, protect the environment and keep kids safe.10
- VA staffingHis campaign website says he will work to ensure VA programs, including VA hospitals, are adequately staffed by a qualified, well-trained and fairly compensated workforce.20
John Elleson — 1 issue
- HomelessnessHis campaign website says he supports practical aid-based programs for addiction, homelessness and mental health.5
Issue statements are drafted by AI from the public sources cited, and only cover what each candidate has said publicly.