Delia Ramirez won the Democratic primary for Illinois’ 3rd Congressional District on June 28, 2022. Four candidates ran. Ramirez had 66% of the vote to Gil Villegas’ 24%.
According to ABC Chicago, the district was redrawn after the 2020 census “specifically to provide a Latino plurality district.” Rep. Marie Newman (D), the old 3rd District’s representative, ran for re-election in the 6th District.
The Chicago Tribune‘s John Byrne called the primary “a modern referendum on issues ranging from diversity of representation to the political philosophies that are dominating the Democratic Party in Illinois and across the nation. And it’s all playing out in a new district that extends from progressive Chicago neighborhoods to historically conservative towns in the far reaches of what used to be the Republican stronghold of DuPage County.”
Ramirez was elected to the state House in 2018. She co-founded the Illinois House Progressive Caucus. Ramirez said her record included working to codify the right to abortion in Illinois, establish an elected school board in Chicago, and make Medicaid available to low-income people regardless of immigration status. Ramirez said she’d work for Medicare for All in Congress.
Villegas was elected to the Chicago City Council in 2015. As of the primary, he chaired the council’s Latino Caucus. Villegas said he worked to pass a universal basic income pilot and to create jobs for women, minority, and veteran workers. Villegas said he would prioritize public safety and work to prevent Republican efforts to pass what he described as anti-choice legislation in Congress.
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