The saying goes, “Once you go Black, you never go back.” In the hot 2026 Democratic primary contest for Illinois’ 7th Congressional District, that old aphorism may end up standing on its head.
The seat has been a deep and historically African American one. Its current occupant, U.S. Rep. Danny Davis, has been reelected to 15 terms, serving nearly 30 years. He was preceded by Cardiss Collins, who reigned over the district for 23 years.
With demographic change and redistricting shifts, the district has evolved from a predominantly Black domain on Chicago’s West Side to a sprawling territory that includes downtown areas such as Fulton Market, South Side wards, Chinatown and the west suburbs of Oak Park, Maywood and River Forest.
In 2023, the 7th District’s population was 39% Black, 30% white, 18% Latino/Hispanic and 9% Asian, according to estimates from the Census Reporter.
Most Black politicians and activists, eager to protect African American political power, don’t want to go back.
Davis’ retirement set off a scrum of hopefuls who are scrambling to capture the Democratic nomination for a rare open seat in the March 17 Democratic primary.
Nearly all of the 13 running are African American, with plenty of prominent names in the crowd: Chicago city Treasurer Melissa Conyears-Ervin, Forest Park Mayor Rory Hoskins, former Cook County Commissioner Richard Boykin, Illinois state Rep. La Shawn Ford, union leader Anthony Driver and community organizer Kina Collins.
Also running are Thomas Fisher, David Ehrlich, Anabel Mendoza, Jazmin Robinson, Reed Showalter and Felix Tello.
Then there is Jason Friedman, who could change the racial equation, as the only white candidate who brings significant money and clout.
The large number of high-profile and established Black politicians might fracture the vote.
“The 7th Congressional District is an historically Black seat,” Emanuel “Chris” Welch, the African American speaker of the Illinois House, noted in a recent interview on Black talk radio WVON-AM 1690. “And we need to make sure the seat stays a Black seat. That is a voice at the table for Black people.”
Welch is not alone in that sentiment. Others are whispering about it on the down-low.
Friedman is the scion of real estate magnate Albert Friedman, whose company, Friedman Properties, has deep connections in Chicago’s political and business worlds.
Jason Friedman, a candidate for retiring U.S. Rep. Danny Davis’ 7th Congressional District seat, listens during a candidate forum at Malcolm X College on Nov. 3, 2025. (E. Jason Wambsgans/Chicago Tribune)
Jason Friedman lives in Chicago’s River North and touts that he is a fourth-generation Chicagoan. His grandfather owned a hot dog stand on the West Side, and his great-grandfather was a peddler on Maxwell Street, he says.
When asked why he was running for Congress, Friedman took a not-so-subtle jab at Davis and other longtime Washington politicians. “For me, this is a real opportunity to give back to our community. You really see so many of our career politicians are just failing us over and over again,” he said earlier this month in an interview with the Austin Weekly News.
Friedman ran his family business, Friedman Properties, for 20 years, according to the weekly.
His campaign website cites his work with prominent Democratic Party officials, including as a student volunteer for Illinois U.S. Sen. Paul Simon’s presidential campaign, in President Bill Clinton’s White House and with U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin on the Senate Judiciary Committee.
Friedman has raised big money. At the end of September, Friedman was leading the fundraising sweepstakes, reporting nearly $1.1 million in the bank and raising about $1.5 million, according to his federal campaign finance report.
Thomas Fisher, an emergency room physician, was the second-highest fundraiser, bringing in $377,899, with $23,217 available.
“I know how to put a crane in the sky. I know how to deliver and do something,” Freidman told the Austin weekly. “People can look at River North and see the vibrancy that’s there, see what real investment does to the community, and they can see how that could translate to other areas, especially in this 7th District.”
If Friedman can galvanize and consolidate the white vote, he could prevail. It would be a tricky and very ill-advised proposition to openly appeal to voters “because I’m white,” but he won’t need to say it out loud. That will be obvious in race-conscious Chicago.
People always decry race-based voting, and history shows it is difficult for white candidates to win Black votes in a traditionally Black district. Friedman will have to bring in boatloads more bucks to elevate his profile. We’ll know more about those prospects with the next finance report, due at the end of this month.
The Democratic nomination in that district would give the winner a virtual lock on the November election. I am not endorsing anyone in this race, but if Friedman prevails, it would be a major shock to Chicago’s political system.
Laura Washington is a political commentator and longtime Chicago journalist. Her columns appear in the Tribune each Wednesday. Write to her at LauraLauraWashington@gmail.com.
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