“These three men made history,” proclaimed a poster hanging at State Representative La Shawn K. Ford’s campaign headquarters, with pictures of prominent Black Chicago politicians U.S. Rep. Danny Davis, former President Barack Obama and former Chicago Mayor Harold Washington. Will Ford join them?
At a campaign volunteer meeting Nov. 1, those gathered seemed ready to elevate him to that level. As people introduced themselves to the room, a common sentiment was that Ford is always there to help, and they were ready to help him.
“Recently, I had an issue with receiving my real estate license,” said Carlotta Turner, an attendee at the event. “I reached out to La Shawn Ford. He assisted me with it, so I’m here to volunteer.”
Ford is running in the crowded 17-person Democratic primary for the 7th Congressional District, which represents Oak Park and broad stretches of Chicago’s South and West sides in the U.S. Congress. Davis has endorsed Ford and his serving as his campaign chair, he said.
“He is a strong, progressive Democrat,” Davis said. “That’s the kind of person that I hope will take on the mantle of leadership in the 7th District after my turn.”
Ford has represented the 8th District in the Illinois House of Representatives since 2007. Ford has passed more than 117 bills during his time in the Illinois House of Representatives, according to his campaign website.
“I’ve decided to run for the 7th congressional district at the federal level after serving as a state representative for 10 terms in the Illinois House to take the things that I’ve learned as a state legislator to the national level,” Ford said. “The best place to fight for democracy and our constitutional rights is at the federal level.”
Ford seeks to set himself apart not only with his legislative experience but also with his roots in the Austin community of Chicago.
“I’m from the neighborhood, and I understand the neighborhood, and that’s what we need,” Ford said. “We have to have somebody that understands the problems of people with substance abuse disorder. We have to have someone in there that has understanding about struggling small businesses. Someone that understands the need to help individuals that know that we need higher quality education on the West and South sides of Chicago.”
Buzz Hunter, a longtime friend of Ford and retired principal at Prosser Career Academy, praised Ford for the work he’s done with the West Side Opioid Task Force, the group Ford convened in 2016, referring to a paraphrased Jewish proverb.
“He who saves one life saves a universe in time,” Hunter said, “Ford has saved 30,000 universes” through the task force.
Ford’s work on health care has also involved encouraging physical fitness among the youth through the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day Health Challenge and promoting healthy eating, said Thomas D. Huggett, the Medical Director of Mobile Health at Lawndale Christian Health Center. He has also served as a volunteer health care policy advisor for Ford.
“[Ford] made it possible for people to use their SNAP benefits at farmers markets,” Huggett said, referring to the law that was signed at the Oak Park Farmers Market. “That was something that was going to help people have better access to healthy food.”
In addition to Ford’s work on health care, he has worked on expanding access to child care and reentry efforts for ex-convicts, the latter of which he has been an “absolute leader” on at the local level, Davis said.
“He has been very effective with his ban the box legislation, which means that if a person has been convicted of a criminal or civil crime in the state of Illinois and they plan for a job working for the state, they don’t have to reveal that on the application,” Davis said.
Ford’s campaign has shifted into high gear as the March primary approaches with more volunteer events planned and a growing slate of endorsements from state leaders, including Kimberly A. Lightford, the Illinois Senate Majority Leader, and Emmanuel Welch, the Illinois House speaker.
In terms of campaign finances, Ford raised $156,381 from April 1 to Sept. 30. He also loaned his campaign $100,000. Only two candidates outpaced him in fundraising, Jason Friedman and Thomas Fisher, who raised $377,898.51 and $1,500,958, respectively, according to Federal Election Commission filings.
Other prominent Democratic candidates in the race include Kina Collins, a community organizer in Austin, and Melissa Conyears-Ervin, the Chicago City Treasurer, who have both unsuccessfully challenged Davis.
Ford seeks to differentiate himself from Davis by focusing on issues related to the youth, such as college affordability and cost of living, he said.
Yet part of Ford’s appeal lies in his similarities to Davis, according to attendees at the campaign volunteer meeting.
“He’s reachable, he’s approachable,” said Brenda Fields, an attendee at the event. “He reminds me of Congressman Davis.”
