Quigley Faces Hanson In 5th Congressional District Race: 2024 Election

ILLINOIS — U.S. Congressman Mike Quigley (D-IL 5) will be facing a familiar opponent in Tuesday's election. For the fourth time, the Chicago resident will square off with Republican challenger Tommy Hanson for the two-year seat.

Quigley has been a member of the U.S. House of Representatives since 2009. Hanson, also a resident of Chicago, lost to Quigley in 2008, 2018 and 2020.

In April's primaries, Quigley ran unopposed, while Hanson won his party's nomination by defeating Frank Rowder, a write-in candidate. Quigley had no opponent due to withdrawals and disqualifications. Jerico Matias Cruz, Jonathan Bishop and Dan Wozniczka were all on the ballot at some point before being removed.

Rowder also appears as a write-in candidate on the general election ballot.

"I have spent more than four decades in public service, including my time as a Cook County Commissioner where I worked to increase transparency within the Cook County Board of Commissioners," Quigley told Patch in response to an election questionnaire. "My experience and dedication to my district mean that I am uniquely positioned to serve my constituents effectively."

Hanson did not fill out a questionnaire.

Illinois Congressional District 5 includes all or parts of Chicago, Inverness, Arlington Heights, Barrington Hills, Des Plaines, Palatine, Mount Prospect, Deer Park, Kildeer, Lake Zurich, Long Grove, and North Barrington.

Among the more famous former representatives of the district are Stephen A. Douglas, Rod Blagojevich (Illinois governor from 2003-2009), and Rahm Emanuel (Chicago mayor from 2011-2019).

The last time a Republican held the seat was when Michael P. Flanagan was elected in 1994. He served one term.

Prior to being elected to Congress, Quigley served on the Cook County Board of Commissioners from 1998 to 2009.

Quigley is currently the highest ranking Democrat on the Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development, and expects to serve as Chair if Democrats take the majority in the House of Representatives.

"In the past year, I have stood up to efforts to use our government funding process to attack the LGBTQ community, women's reproductive rights, and more," Quigley said. "Serving the 5th District is the pride of a lifetime, and I am eager to continue my work on behalf of my constituents."

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In the questionnaire, Quigley said his earliest public activism was in environmental affairs, an area he continues to champion during his time in Congress.

"Climate change is the crisis of our lifetime and so far, the federal government has simply not done enough," Quigley said. "Whether it is through highlighting the ways climate change is impacting our nation already, raising the issue of climate change as a national security issue, or making the economic case for fighting climate change, I will not relent until our nation has taken the critical steps necessary to save our planet for future generations."

With regard to the Israel-Palestine conflict, Quigley is in favor of a diplomatic peace process between the two sides. Commenting on the Russo-Ukrainian war, he said, "failure to continue our aid to Ukraine would be a dereliction of duty as the world’s most powerful democracy."

In July, Quigley became the fifth House Democrat at the time to call for President Joe Biden to bow out of the 2024 presidential election versus former President Donald Trump.

"The president should step aside," Quigely said during a Friday interview with Chris Hayes on MSNBC. I had a hard time processing getting to that point with him, as I think anybody would who respects him so much, I'd say, Mr President, your legacy is set we owe you the greatest debt of gratitude. The only thing that you can do now to cement that for all time and prevent utter catastrophe is to step down and let someone else do this.

RELATED: Biden Should Prevent 'Utter Catastrophe,' Step Down — IL Rep Quigley

According to his website, Hanson was born in Chicago, raised on the North Shore, lived in the suburbs and then moved back to the city over 35 years ago. He is the owner of Hanson Commercial Real Estate, located in Chicago.

"I believe in fiscal responsibility, full funding of law enforcement, and common-sense growth. As a small business owner and family man, I have proudly been a part of the fabric of our great region my entire life," Hanson said.

One area Hanson says he disagrees with Quigley on is codifying Roe v. Wade. Hanson also opposes the Equality Act, the Build Back Better Act, and the Inflation Reduction Act.

"It is obvious that our current approach is not working," Hanson said on his website. "Hundreds of thousands have fled the city, crime is rampant, businesses are boarded up, trains are half full, police morale is down while your taxes and cost of living are way up. We have to fix this and fix it quick."