On Friday, March 6th, the City of Evanston Youth Advisory Committee and ETOWN Sunrise hosted a debate in the ETHS Auditorium for candidates running to replace Representative Jan Schakowsky in the Illinois 9th Congressional District. In attendance were Kat Abughazaleh, Bushra Amiwala, Phil Andrew, Jeff Cohen, Sam Polan, Nick Pyati, and Mike Simmons. Notably absent were frontrunner and Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss, who was scheduled to attend but had to pull out due to scheduling conflicts, and Laura Fine, who declined the invitation.
The debate began with the candidates being asked, if elected, which committees they would like to serve on in the House of Representatives. Nearly all candidates said they would want to serve on the House oversight committee to hold the Trump administration accountable. However, each candidate had a unique focus on how they would achieve this. Andrew called for greater independence of government agencies, Amiwala supported the impeachment of all in the administration, and Abughazaleh declared her support for abolishing and prosecuting members of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
“We can’t have healthcare if we’re being shot in the street,” said Abughazaleh on the urgency of action against ICE.
The debate then moved to individual questions, mostly focused on each candidate’s primary focus and experience. Simmons shared his plans to make public transit faster, greener, and more accessible. Pyati explained how America can continue to progress with AI while keeping things transparent. He believed that AI shouldn’t play a role in the classroom and that there should be one government representative with every AI company, speaking for and sharing all information with the people. Polan used his ten years of military experience to discuss how the role of the US in foreign conflicts should change. Cohen, an economist, advocated to repeal Trump’s large tariffs. Andrew talked about how he would translate his experience as a hostage negotiator in the FBI to negotiations with Republicans, and that there should be firmer ethical requirements on judicial justices. Amiwala offered how she would change public education, highlighting her “Books not Bombs” plan to give 1% of the defense budget to public schools (this would be a 10% increase). Finally, Abughazaleh discussed her journalistic experience dealing with the far right and how she’d hold Republicans accountable. All candidates expressed their desire for change in the federal government, and received applause for their remarks.
Next up was the cross-examination, where candidates could ask each other questions. Nearly every candidate used this as an opportunity to throw shade on Biss. Knowing he was absent, Abughazaleh asked a rhetorical question about why Biss believed AI was art. Andrew then asked Amiwala what she would’ve done as Mayor of Evanston (Biss’s position) during the Ryan Field negotiations, where she responded about the current state of District 65, calling it in shambles and saying Biss should have done more. Finally, Cohen asked Biss whether Envision Evanston was a waste of taxpayer dollars, and with Biss unable to respond, he told the crowd how he believed it was an unsmart decision.
“It’s a lot more fun without them,” joked Andrew of the absent candidates.
In what was a fairly civil debate, the beginning of the audience questions was an exception. In the first question asked, Republican candidate Rucío Cleveland angrily called Abughazaleh a “pathological liar,” among more targeted statements, before having her microphone taken away. Abughazaleh responded by saying that “she doesn’t matter,” before highlighting how her office doubles as a mutual aid hub.
The rest of the audience questions went on as expected. All candidates were asked about cash bail, with an audience member highlighting Simmons’s work to end cash bail in Illinois. Simmons was also asked about reproductive rights, where he responded by telling a story about the poor healthcare women in his family received, and how it motivated him in the State Senate. Abughazaleh was questioned about her experience in the community, before all candidates were asked about the war in Iran, which they all opposed.
“Bibi Netanyahu has been the boy who cried wolf on this nuclear weapon for 30 years now,” said Amiwala, who also called the war “unconstitutional” during an individual question on foreign policy.
The debate then wrapped up with each candidate giving their closing statements. While each candidate emphasized their differences, all stressed how important it was to get the right person into Congress to combat the Trump administration.
“The life of our democracy is on the line, and the next two years are our negotiation,” emphasized Andrew.
Early voting in Evanston has begun at the Robert Crown Center, and Election Day is March 17th.
