Chicago U.S. Congressman Danny Davis Not Seeking Reelection

After nearly three decades representing Chicago’s West Side, Downtown and the South Loop in Congress, Rep. Danny Davis said he will not seek reelection in 2026, opening a rare safe-seat scramble in one of the city’s most development-heavy districts.

Davis, 83, endorsed longtime ally and state Rep. La Shawn Ford to succeed him, the Chicago Tribune reported.

The announcement came as no surprise — Ford had already launched his campaign in May — but Davis’ blessing carries weight in a field that had already ballooned to eight candidates before his announcement. More jumped in almost immediately, including Chicago City Treasurer Melissa Conyears-Ervin and Forest Park Mayor Rory Hoskins.

The 7th Congressional District has played host to dramatic shifts in the city’s urban core over the course of Davis’ tenure, from the high-rise boom of the South Loop to the transformation of the once-blighted Madison Street corridor and the city’s fast-growing medical district.

Ford is calling Davis’ endorsement a “strong affirmation of our shared mission.” He pledged to defend civil rights and social services and deflect criticism over a 2014 misdemeanor tax conviction that resulted from a 17-count federal indictment — charges that were ultimately dropped before Ford pleaded to the lesser count.

His frontrunner status is far from guaranteed. Attorney Richard Boykin, a former Cook County commissioner and Davis’ former chief of staff, and businessman Jason Friedman, who has raised over $1 million, are also in the running and were largely ignored in the endorsement statements issued Thursday.

The race is one of four open-seat House contests in Illinois next year, all in safely Democratic districts, meaning the real fight is the March 2026 primary. Illinois’ delegation is in flux; high-profile figures like Reps. Raja Krishnamoorthi and Robin Kelly are leaving for Senate runs, and Rep. Jan Schakowsky is retiring.

As for Davis, he says he’s bought a rocking chair. But rather than sitting out the race, he’ll chair Ford’s campaign.

— Judah Duke