After weeks of speculation about whether Danny Davis would choose to run again for Illinois’ 7th congressional district — a position he’s held since 1997 — the congressman announced at a July 31 press conference that he’s retiring and endorsing La Shawn Ford in the Democratic primary election in March 2026.
Ford currently serves as state representative for Illinois’ 8th district, which covers parts of Chicago’s Austin neighborhood and the western suburbs. Earlier this month, Ford broke the news to Austin Weekly News that he wouldn’t be seeking reelection. The announcement came around the time he filed to run for Illinois’ 7th congressional district. But Ford said, if Davis decided to run again, he’d retire from politics.
Ford’s political career will now continue if he wins the primary for the 7th district congressional district — which represents parts of Cook County like Oak Park, Forest Park, River Forest and much of Chicago’s West Side — and then the general election in Nov. 2026. And he now has a leg up with a significant endorsement.
“When someone gives you their endorsement, that means a lot. That’s putting their reputation out there,” Ford the Review in an interview embargoed until Davis’ announcement. He added that it feels even more significant getting support from someone whose job he’s running for. “If I’m going to endorse you because you’re running for alderman, or if I endorse you because you’re running for senate, that’s different than ‘I’m going to endorse you to actually carry on my legacy in the U.S. House.’”
“It puts you at an advantage, and it gives people the confidence that you’re ready,” Ford said. He added that Davis’ endorsement helps with public opinion of Ford, since the state representative said Davis has respect from both his constituents and peers in Washington, D.C. “To have him as a mentor and someone who will continue to help in the process, if there’s a win, is huge. You don’t start off on ground zero.”
Ford said he and Davis share a lot of the same values, especially when it comes to legislation on helping people who are unhoused, use substances, are reentering society after incarceration or need affordable health care.
“I will definitely join the forces making sure that Obamacare is fully restored and that those who need to have preventive care have it,” Ford said. Davis “is a strong healthcare congressperson, so that helps out immediately where I could step right in and continue on the groundwork that he has already established.”
He added that he also wants to champion work against prosecuting people with low-level offenses, like cannabis and psychedelics.
“These are things that we really need to address in our government to stop the war on drugs, causing people to become criminals for these types of offenses,” Ford said.
Ford said one of Davis’ successes he’s most proud of is the Second Chance Act, which the congressman introduced to the U.S. House of Representatives. The federal law, passed in 2008 with bipartisan support, mandates that the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs fund grants for state and local government, plus nonprofits, that go toward reentry support and reducing recidivism. This includes resources for helping people with substance use, finding employment and housing.
“It really is a piece of legislation that changed the way America looks at people who have had criminal records,” Ford said. “Some people go to Congress, and they never pass anything. This bill has put millions of dollars throughout the country to help people that have criminal records reenter all over, in Republican districts and in Democratic districts. Red and blue states have benefited from Congressman Davis’ Second Chance Act.”
Building on the Second Chance Act, Ford passed a bill in Illinois in 2015 that allows ex-offenders to seal criminal records for non-violent offenses. He said requests for such legislation came out of his meetings with the community, who saw those trying to return to society after incarceration struggling to secure jobs or apartments because of their records. Such meetings and relationships with locals, Ford said, are one of Davis’ assets.
“Community is where his strongest strength is,” Ford said. “You see people walk up to Congressman Davis as if he’s not a congressman. They walk up to him and call him ‘Danny’ because every day he’s out there with the people. That’s another thing that I admire, and that’s my approach.”
But Ford said he is also aware that there’s a balance between honoring your predecessor’s work and bringing a new perspective.
Ford said he plans to use technology as a resource more than Davis has. While Ford said there are few, if any, areas where Davis hasn’t fought for more funding, he brings a unique view on higher education after working with colleges and universities throughout the state on their annual budgets.
“I know that there is some work to be done, and there are some groups that we can unite with, to fight for college affordability and less debt,” Ford said.
Working on budgets within Illinois, Ford has seen how the state gets significantly less funding than others.
“We have to get more money from the federal government back to Illinois,” Ford said, which could lead to not raising taxes again for Illinois residents.
Aside from his knowledge about budgeting in Illinois, Ford said he’s learned a lot about patience while being a state representative. He also said he’s become well-versed in being present when the community needs him, like during the Covid-19 pandemic, the floods on the West Side of Chicago in the summer of 2023, and throughout the opioid crisis.
“Many people think that you have to pass a bill in order to be successful. That’s not always necessary. What’s necessary is to support the community and build coalitions around the community so that their issues are heard,” Ford said. But that “doesn’t happen overnight,” he added.
“Those who have done public policy or are new to it may not understand that it takes time to build trust, and it takes time to build community around an issue,” Ford said. “You don’t want to just [pass] public policy that can harm and have unintended consequences without public input. It takes time, and I’ve learned that.”
