Illinois' 5th Congressional District Race: Primary Election 2026

Since 2009, U.S. Congressman Mike Quigley has represented Illinois' 5th Congressional District in the United States House of Representatives. In Tuesday's primary election, the Democrat will seek the party's nomination for a 10th term in Washington D.C. The congressional seat, to be contested in November's General Election, carries a two-year term.

Quigley, of Chicago, is facing three challengers in his reelection bid — Matt Conroy, Ellen A. Corley and Anthony Michael Tamez. The 67-year-old faced no challengers in the 2024 Democratic primary.

In the Republican primary, Tom Hanson, Dr. Kimball Ladien and Barry Wicker are on the ballot.

Illinois Congressional District 5 includes all or parts of Chicago, Inverness, Arlington Heights, Barrington Hills, Des Plaines, Palatine, Mount Prospect, Deer Park, Kildeer, Lake Zurich, Long Grove, and North Barrington.

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DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY

For his current term, Quigley is serving on the House Committee on Appropriations, Legislative Branch, National Security Department of State and Related Programs, Committee on Intelligence, Defense Intelligence and Overhead Architecture, and Open Source Intelligence.

He has been a vocal critic of the Trump administration, especially Kristi Noem, the former Department of Homeland Security secretary, who was removed from that position by the president last week. Noem had overseen the immigration enforcement efforts that began last September in Chicagoland, also known as "Operation Midway Blitz."

"Good riddance. Kristi Noem's time as DHS Secretary has been an utter disaster. She was unqualified, incompetent, and cruel from the beginning," Quigley said in a statement. "Under her leadership, U.S. citizens have been detained and killed, children have been teargassed, CBP and ICE have effectively operated unconstrained, and DHS has repeatedly lied to the American people. And she killed her dog."

Quigley won a special election in 2009 to replace former congressman Rahm Emanuel, who left to become White House Chief of Staff. Before being elected to Congress, the Glenbard North High School graduate served on the Cook County Board of Commissioners from 1998 to 2009.

If Quigley were to win a 10th term representing Illinois' 5th District, there's a chance it might be his last two years in the seat. In January, Quigley announced he intends to run for mayor of Chicago and has already started fundraising for that February 2027 race.

But before all that, Quigley is hoping to beat out his challengers in the Democratic primary on March 17.

Conroy, 37, of Chicago, is running on a platform that emphasizes universal healthcare and economic fairness, according to his website.

Over the past decade, he has worked in several industries, including manufacturing, real estate, tech, and financial services. Conroy has lived in Boston, Los Angeles, and now Chicago. The native New Yorker has never held a political office.

Corley, 70, of Chicago, a former high school teacher and marketing research consultant, is running as a progressive Democratic candidate. Corley's campaign emphasizes a platform that addresses the concerns of working families throughout the district, according to her website.

A native of Georgia, Corley entered public life in 2008 during the financial crisis, saying the ruin of of families during that period ignited a decade-long investigation into police brutality, wrongful convictions, and the flow of dark money. She has worked with the Chicago Alliance for Racist Political Repression and testified at City Hall regarding civilian oversight of police. Though she has run in several Chicago elections as a write-in candidate, Corley has never held political office.

Tamez, 26, is a member of the Chicago Police 17th District Council, an elected position. The Native American told the Chicago Tribune he is running because it is time for a generational change in Congress. Tamez is hoping to abolish ICE.

In 2018, the Center for Native American Youth named Tamez a Champion for Change. At the time, he was one of the nation's youngest Native American elected officials and held the distinction of being Illinois' only sitting Native American elected official.

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REPUBLICAN PRIMARY

The last time a Republican held the seat was when Michael P. Flanagan was elected in 1994. He served one term.

Hanson, a resident of Chicago, is aiming for another chance to run against Quigley. In 2024, the 71-year-old commercial real estate broker received 31 percent of the vote, while Quigley got 69 percent. Hanson was also the Republican nominee in 2018, 2020 and 2022.

According to his website, Hanson is running for office because he believes in protecting the values of the community. His campaign platform focuses on creating common-sense solutions for inflation, crime, illegal immigration, and economic growth.

Laiden is a Chicago-based psychiatrist with decades of experience in mental health care. On his website, the 74-year-old said his candidacy intends to unite Republicans, Democrats and Independents behind a strategy that prioritizes results over rhetoric. He describes the effort as a bold, scientific win-win strategy.

The campaign is centered on what the candidate calls the Chicago Project, an initiative that serves as an immediate action plan to combat crime and establish world-class schools.

Laiden has run for other elected positions over the years, including Chicago City Council.

Wicker, of Chicago, has 10 years of experience as a government internationally licensed financial broker, as well as a decade as a licensed union engineer.