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Ford wins crowded Democratic primary to replace retiring Rep. Danny Davis after decades in office

WBEZ Chicago - WBEZ Chicago [Unofficial] March 18, 2026

State Rep. La Shawn Ford, the handpicked successor for retiring congressman Danny Davis, prevailed Tuesday in a crowded Democratic primary.

Ford defeated twelve other candidates to secure the Democratic nomination in Illinois’s 7th Congressional District, a seat Davis has held for nearly three decades.

Ford declared victory at his South Side watch party, shortly after Chicago City Treasurer Melissa Conyears-Ervin conceded.

U.S. Rep. Danny Davis celebrates state Rep. La Shawn Ford’s victory in the Democratic primary that could determine Davis’s successor in Congress.

Miriam Cardenas-Mitchell for WBEZ.

"I pledge to all of you and to the congressman that your legacy will be protected," Ford said Tuesday, addressing Davis and his supporters. "This campaign has always been about the people at the bottom. And nothing is going to change. We’re going to unite for the people at the bottom — not the people with money, but the people at the bottom."

As of publication time Ford had earned 23.9% of the vote with 89.6% of expected votes counted. Conyears-Ervin followed close behind with 20.5% and labor leader Anthony Driver Jr. was a distant third with 11.3%.

During his victory speech, Ford thanked all of his rivals in the race. "I think I learned a lot from each and every last one of them. And because of the debates, I learned how to be a better congressman," he said. "I will make sure that we meet with them so that their ideas could be implemented for America.”

State Rep. La Shawn Ford, Democratic primary candidate for Illinois’ 7th Congressional District seat, greeting supporters at his election party on Tuesday, March 17, 2026.

Candace Dane Chambers/Sun-Times

He’ll face Republican nominee Chad Koppie in November’s general election.

Davis endorsed Ford over the summer after announcing he would not seek a 16th term in Congress, calling the fellow West Sider: “young, energetic, and super ready.”

"We’ve come to the culmination of a campaign where the people of the 7th Congressional District, up against the millions of dollars — millions — more than you can count," Davis said Tuesday, before introducing Ford. "But, let me tell you, never count the people out. It does not matter when you keep hope alive.”

Ford takes the reins of a diverse deep blue district that includes part of Englewood, the Loop, Austin and several suburbs.

State Rep. La Shawn Ford, primary candidate for Illinois’ 7th Congressional District seat, smiles after casting his ballot at George Rogers Clark Elementary School in Austin on Election Day, Tuesday, March 17, 2026.

Pat Nabong/Sun-Times

Several of Ford's competitors had much more campaign funding. Conyears-Ervin benefited from nearly $5 million of spending by a pro-Israel group that promoted her candidacy.

Ford himself weathered a $2.5 million deluge of attack ads purchased by cryptocurrency interests. He ascribed those attacks to his role last year in passing an Illinois measure that regulates digital asset exchanges — a measure opposed by some crypto groups.

Just before 9 p.m., Conyears-Ervin announced she’d called Ford to congratulate him on his victory and pledged to work with him as city treasurer to “to lift up the West and South Sides and address the financial literacy gap within the Black community.”

“I am so grateful to everyone who supported me and who recognized my story in their lives,” Conyears-Ervin wrote in a statement. “As someone born on the South Side, raised on the West Side and who is caring for my disabled sister relying on SNAP and Medicaid, I’ve lived the devastating impact of the Trump Administration and I’ll continue to fight back on behalf of my constituents."

Chicago City Treasurer Melissa Conyears-Ervin, Democratic primary candidate for Illinois’ 7th congressional district, chats with a supporter before voting in the 2026 primary election at John Marshall Metropolitan High School in East Garfield Park, Tuesday, March 17, 2026.

Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times

Ford has served in the Illinois General Assembly since 2007 and chairs the House appropriations committee for higher education.

He was born in the Cabrini-Green housing project, then adopted by his grandmother and raised in the West Side’s Austin community. He’s a former Chicago Public Schools teacher and unsuccessfully ran for Mayor in 2019. Over the years he’s been a strong advocate for supervised drug-use sites to reduce fatal overdoses and for state regulation of hemp-derived THC products.

The 54-year-old carries a bit of political baggage. He faced federal bank fraud charges that were dropped before he pleaded guilty in 2014 to a lesser misdemeanor for failing to pay about $3,700 in income taxes.

Ford has some big shoes to fill, taking the reins from Davis, a political fixture, who’s represented the district since 1997.

Davis currently serves on the Committee on Ways and Means and is a ranking member of the Worker and Family Support Subcommittee.

The longtime congressman is known for his work on civil rights, voting rights, women’s rights, health care and criminal justice reform, among other key issues.

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