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Progressive Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-IL), who's held her seat for 26 years, announced Monday she will retire at the end of her term, and will not seek re-election next year.
Schakowsky, of Evanston, has served Illinois’s 9th congressional district since 1999, representing Chicago’s North Side and several northern suburbs. Before that, she served eight years in the state's General Assembly.
Schakowsky has held roles such as chief deputy whip for House Democrats and is active on the House Energy and Commerce Committee. She has been an advocate on health care, seniors’ issues, women’s rights, and consumer protection, and played a significant role in passing the Affordable Care Act. Schakowsky also advocated for legislation to protect Social Security, Medicare, and prescription drug affordability.
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“This is the official, that I’m not going to run again for Congress, and there are pluses to that,” Schakowsky told an audience at the Ultimate Women’s Power Luncheon she hosted at a Hotel in Chicago, according to the Chicago Tribune. “You know, I can still be a badass.”
Schakowsky’s announcement comes less than two weeks after Sen. Dick Durbin, also 80, announced he would not seek another term.
Even before Schakowsky’s announcement Monday, one person had already declared candidacy for the seat:
Kat Abughazaleh, a 26-year-old progressive who moved to the state last year — and who had raised more money than Schakowsky in the first quarter of this year — has already declared her candidacy for the seat.
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