Democratic congressional primary in new heavily Latino district starts to take shape with entry of State Rep. Delia Ramirez
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State Rep. Delia Ramirez announced on Wednesday her bid for the Democratic nomination for Congress in the Northwest Side and suburban district created with the aim of giving Latinos a second seat in the state’s Washington delegation.
The move by Ramirez, an assistant majority leader in the Illinois House from Chicago, sets up a challenge in June’s Democratic primary to previously announced candidate Gilbert Villegas, the 36th Ward alderman who has been on the City Council since 2015 and is chairman of the council’s Latino Caucus.
Ramirez, a member of the General Assembly since December 2018, was a primary sponsor of legislation creating an elected school board in Chicago’s public schools and has worked on affordable housing and immigration issues in the legislature.
“I plan to bring the neighborhood first agenda I delivered on in the General Assembly to Congress. I have a proven track record of building strong and diverse coalitions and this campaign will reflect the people and priorities of the communities in the 3rd district,” Ramirez said in a statement.
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“In a time where our families are struggling to recover from the pandemic, and we have attacks on people of color, women’s rights, and our voting rights, we need someone who is not afraid to take on these difficult fights on behalf of our communities,” she said. “I am confident that I am the candidate uniquely qualified to do this because I have spent my entire career fighting these fights.”
Democrats who control the General Assembly created the new open-seat district to give greater influence to the state’s growing Latino population — though Latinos are not a majority within the district that stretches from Chicago’s Northwest Side westward to include Latino communities in Bensenville, Addison and West Chicago.
Ramirez is among several allies of U.S. Rep. Jesus “Chuy” Garcia, the Chicago Democrat who is the state’s lone Latino congressman, to consider the seat. But Ramirez secured the backing of one of those who thought about running, state Sen. Omar Aquino, D-Chicago, as well as several members of the General Assembly.
“I am proud to endorse such a trusted partner to represent our communities as the first Latina congresswoman in the Midwest,” Aquino said.
Ramirez also announced support from several City Council colleagues, including Alds. Carlos Ramirez-Rosa, 35th; Rossana Rodriguez-Sanchez, 33rd; Maria Hadden, 49th; Daniel La Spata, 1st; Byron Sigcho-Lopez, 25th; Jeanette B. Taylor, 20th; and Andre Vasquez, 40th. Also backing Ramirez is Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss.
