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I am deeply saddened by the passing of Reverend Jesse Lewis Jackson, a giant not only in Chicago but in the movement for civil rights, human rights, and justice across the nation and around the world. Reverend Jackson was more than a leader. He was a builder of movements who turned hope into action and gave voice to those too often ignored. His legacy of courage, faith, and unity will continue to guide all of us who remain committed to the pursuit of justice and equality.

Across the country, Americans are witnessing disturbing federal enforcement actions that are creating fear, confusion, and real harm. When U.S. citizens are treated as if their constitutional rights do not apply, we are no longer debating policy. We are confronting a civil rights crisis.

The Constitution guarantees due process, equal protection, and freedom from abuse of power. No agency and no administration is above those principles. When enforcement goes unchecked, rights are at risk and communities pay the price.

This moment demands accountability, oversight, and leadership willing to defend civil rights and civil liberties for everyone.

La Shawn K. Ford condemned the Trump administration’s decision to terminate federal addiction and mental health grants, warning that the move puts lives at risk and threatens progress made in communities across Illinois’ 7th Congressional District. Ford emphasized that cutting funding for addiction treatment and mental health services undermines proven public health efforts, strains emergency systems, and increases the risk of preventable deaths. He pledged to fight in Congress to restore the funding and protect evidence-based care that communities rely on.

Project 2027 is my plan to defend democracy, protect our rights, and make government work for the people again.

At a time when powerful interests are pushing to weaken our institutions and concentrate power, Project 2027 offers a clear alternative: accountability, fairness, and opportunity for every community. It protects voting rights, reproductive freedom, public education, and the rule of law, while investing in working families and a strong future.

This is about standing up for our values and delivering real results.

Civil rights do not take freedom away. They expand it.

Throughout our history, every advance in civil rights has strengthened this country by making opportunity more real and more equal. When we protect voting rights, defend free speech, and guarantee equal treatment under the law, we are not limiting anyone’s freedom. We are ensuring that freedom belongs to all of us.

I believe civil rights are not a threat to democracy. They are the foundation of it.

In Illinois’ 7th Congressional District, housing determines whether families can stay rooted, seniors can age with dignity, and young people can build a future in the communities they love. When housing becomes unstable, costs rise across the board, workers are pushed farther from jobs, and neighborhoods lose the people who hold them together.

La Shawn K. Ford released a policy blueprint outlining his priorities for child care, early learning, and teacher support in Illinois’ 7th Congressional District. The plan focuses on expanding access to affordable child care, strengthening early education, supporting educators, and reducing the financial strain on working families. Drawing on his legislative experience, Ford positions early learning and educator support as essential to economic stability and long-term community growth.

As a state legislator, I fought for and voted to pass Illinois’ minimum wage increase into law, helping raise the floor for working families and support higher local standards like Chicago’s minimum wage. That work mattered.

But today, full-time work still does not cover the basic cost of living for too many families in the 7th Congressional District. In Cook County, a single adult needs more than $24 an hour just to cover essentials, and families with children need even more.

That gap is why minimum wages alone are no longer enough. Living wages mean pay that reflects real costs, strong enforcement so workers keep what they earn, and lowering the expenses that erase paychecks. That is the work I am running to take on in Congress.

I believe healthcare should protect your health, not drain your paycheck.

Too many families in the 7th Congressional District work full time and still struggle to afford care. Premiums rise. Deductibles climb. Prescription costs eat into every raise. For many workers, a pay increase disappears the moment a medical bill arrives.

That is not a system that works for working people.

I am fighting for healthcare that puts people first because wages only matter if families can keep them. Lowering prescription drug costs, expanding access to affordable coverage, and protecting patients from surprise bills are essential to making full-time work actually pay.

Healthcare should give families stability, not fear.