After 17 years as a state representative for Illinois’ 8th district, La Shawn Ford said on July 15 that he won’t be running for reelection come November 2026.
The announcement comes nearly two months after Ford filed with the Federal Elections Commission on May 21 to run for United States Congress in Illinois’ 7th district, a position held by Danny Davis since 1997. Ford said that, if Davis runs next November, he won’t run against him and instead plans to retire from politics.
“Once I filed those papers that I was considering running for Congress, I knew at that time I would not run for reelection as state representative,” Ford told Growing Community Media.
Last November, Ford was reelected as state representative, a position he’s held since 2007. But with the first day to circulate nominating petitions for his current position coming up on Aug. 5, Ford wants to prepare those who want to be the next state representative for his district.
“It’s only fair that I am able to give full notice before the process starts of circulating petitions so that, if there are people who are interested in running, they have that information,” Ford said. He added that those interested in running for state representative of the 8th district should contact his office for an opportunity to receive some mentorship from Ford.
“Being connected to the community is most important, and hopefully [my successor] will continue a relationship with me so that I can be of assistance,” Ford said. Not only does Ford want to collaborate with his own state representative, but also to share what he’s learned from his constituents over nearly two decades in the position. “I hope that anyone who takes on that will continue to have open communication with the district.”
Ford sends out a daily email, full of updates about what he’s doing in office, constituent polling and job opportunities.
“We’ve helped thousands and thousands of people get employed based on our daily job leads,” Ford said.
Dealing with local government and community members in such an intimate way will be one of the biggest things Ford misses about being a state representative. He mentions his role in passing Illinois’ evidence-based model for educational funding, prioritizing schools with the greatest need. He was also involved in passing bills that have brought infrastructure to his district — like the Aspire Center for Workforce Innovation and Christ the King Jesuit College Prep, both in Austin.
“I’ve helped bring money home to those entities and not-for-profits,” Ford said. “Springfield is a place where a lot of impactful things happen, and being able to pass public policy is an honor.”
Even if Ford’s political run could be nearing its end, he plans to continue to have a presence on Chicago’s West Side and in the western suburbs.
“It makes sense to let the community that voted for me 10 times know that I thank them for the years that they’ve entrusted me to represent them in Springfield,” Ford added. “I hope that they’ve been satisfied, and I look forward to working with them more.”
