Raised
$494,774Who funds La Shawn K. Ford?
$494,774Source: https://www.fec.gov/data/candidate/H6IL07354/
| Donor | Category | Amount | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| La Shawn K. Ford (candidate self-loan) | self-loan | $100,000 | confirmed |
| Rajesh Patel | individual | $7,000 | confirmed |
| Brian Hughes | individual | $3,700 | confirmed |
| Illinois Black Business Political Action Fund | pac | $3,500 | confirmed |
| Toi Salter | individual | $3,500 | confirmed |
| Cynthia Prabhakar | individual | $3,500 | confirmed |
| Pin Ni | individual | $3,500 | confirmed |
| ActBlue (conduit for grassroots small-dollar donors) | conduit | $129,731 | confirmed |
Ford entered the crowded 2019 Chicago mayoral race and received 1.0% of the vote, finishing 11th of 14 candidates — indicating limited citywide appeal beyond his West Side legislative base. This is objective electoral data from certified results, not an allegation.
La Shawn K. Ford is a Democratic candidate for Illinois' 7th Congressional District in the March 17, 2026 primary. Ford was born and raised in Chicago's West Side Austin neighborhood, where he still lives. He received his bachelor's degree in education from Loyola University Chicago. He taught social studies in the Chicago Public Schools system for six years at the 6th and 7th grade level before entering the real estate business and politics. He was first elected to the Illinois House of Representatives, District 8 (Austin/West Side/West Suburbs) in 2006, taking office in January 2007, and has been reelected continuously — serving 19 years through 2026, his current term running to January 2027. He ran for Chicago Mayor in the February 2019 race, finishing 11th out of 14 candidates with 1.0% of the vote (5,606 votes). He is endorsed by retiring Rep. Danny K. Davis (IL-07), who announced his endorsement alongside his retirement announcement in July 2025, making Ford's candidacy the most institutionally connected in the race. Ford is a prostate cancer survivor and co-founder of the West Side Heroin Opioid Task Force in 2019. He has been Chair of the Illinois House Appropriations Committee for Higher Education and Chair of the Small Business Empowerment and Workforce Development Committee. In the 2026 primary he raised $494,774 in FEC receipts, placing third in the 13-candidate field, behind Jason Friedman ($2.5M) and Melissa Conyears-Ervin ($621K) and ahead of Richard Boykin ($383K).
Prior office: Illinois State Representative, District 8 (2007–present)
Ford authored Illinois' major record sealing and expungement statutes, expanding employment opportunities for people with non-violent criminal convictions. Also authored court debt protection legislation and bail cost reduction bills as part of a broader pre-SAFE-T Act criminal justice reform agenda.
Ford authored the law requiring incarcerated Illinoisans to be counted in their home communities for redistricting purposes rather than in the prison's location — a landmark reform addressing how incarceration skews political representation.
Ford was the chief House sponsor of the legislation ratifying Illinois' entry into the National Popular Vote Compact, requiring Illinois' electoral votes to go to the winner of the national popular vote once states totaling 270 EVs join the compact.
Authored and passed six laws expanding access to HIV screening in Illinois, ensuring people living with HIV were identified and able to receive treatment, particularly in underserved West Side communities.
Led the effort to restore $300 million in child care funding cut by Governor Rauner in 2015-2016, covering child care costs for low-income working families.
As Chair of Appropriations-Higher Education, helped achieve historic FY2026 increases totaling more than $2.73 billion for student financial aid, public universities, and community colleges.
As a prostate cancer survivor, introduced and passed legislation requiring Illinois health insurers to cover prostate cancer screening without a copay.