Planned Parenthood Illinois Action Board Announces 2024 Election Endorsements
For Immediate Release: Sept. 26, 2024 (Updated: Sept. 26, 2024, 4:12 p.m.)
PPIA Board makes endorsements for the Illinois General Assembly, statewide advisory ballot measures and recommendations for the Chicago School Board
CHICAGO – Today, the Planned Parenthood Illinois Action (PPIA) Board announced its endorsements for the offices of Illinois State House, Illinois State Senate, and the statewide advisory ballot measures on the 2024 ballot. The PPIA Board also made recommendations for Chicago School Board candidates.
The PPIA Board has made endorsements in the majority of the races for the Illinois General Assembly. These candidates have all submitted questionnaires that indicate their support for sexual and reproductive health care policies at the state level.
Illinois Senate:
Senator Javier Cervantes (D-1), Senator Lakesia Collins (D-5), Senator Mike Simmons (D-7), Senator Robert Martwick (D-10), Senator Robert Peters (D-13), Graciela Guzmán (D-20), Senator Cristina Castro (D-22), Senator Karina Villa (D-25), Senator Laura Murphy (D-28), Senator Mary Edly-Allen (D-31), Senator Steve Stadelman (D-34), Senator Rachel Ventura (D-43), Senator Dave Koehler (D-46), Senator Paul Faraci (D-52)
Illinois State House:
Rep. Lilian Jiménez (D-4), Rep. Kimberly du Buclet (D-5), Rep. Sonya Harper (D-6), Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch (D-7), Rep. Yolonda Morris (D-9), Rep. Ann Williams (D-11), Rep. Margaret Croke (D-12), Rep. Hoan Huynh (D-13), Rep. Kelly Cassidy (D-14), Rep. Michael Kelly (D-15), Rep. Kevin Olickal (D-16), Rep. Jennifer Gong-Gershowitz (D-17), Rep. Robyn Gabel (D-18), Rep. Lindsey LaPointe (D-19), Rep. Abdelnasser Rashid (D- 21), Rep. Angelica Guerrero-Cuellar (D-22), Rep. Edgar González Jr. (D-23), Rep. Theresa Mah (D-24), Rep. Kam Buckner (D-26), Rep. Justin Slaughter (D-27), Rep. Robert “Bob” Rita (D-28), Michael Crawford (D-31), Lisa J. Davis (D-32), Rep. Nick Smith (D-34), Rep. Mary Gill (D-35), Rick Ryan (D-36), Rep. Will Guzzardi (D-39), Rep. Jaime Andrade (D-40), Rep. Janet Yang Rohr (D-41), Rep. Terra Costa Howard (D- 42)
Martha “Marti” Deuter (D-45), Rep. Diane Blair-Sherlock (D-46), Jackie Williamson (D-47), Maria Vesey (D-48), Rep. Maura Hirschauer (D-49), Rep. Nabeela Syed (D-51), Maria Peterson (D-52), Rep. Nicolle Grasse (D-53), Rep. Mary Beth Canty (D-54), Rep. Michelle Mussman (D-56), Rep. Tracy Katz Muhl (D-57), Rep. Bob Morgan (D-58), Rep. Daniel Didech (D-59), Rep. Joyce Mason (D-61), Rep. Laura Faver Dias (D-62), Mary Mahady (D-63), Linda R. Robertson (D-65), Rep. Suzanne Ness (D-66), Rep. Maurice West (D-67), Peter Janko (D-69), Randi Olson (D-70), Rep. Gregg Johnson (D-72), David Simpson (D-74), Heidi Henry (D-75), Amy “Murri” Briel (D-76), William “Billy” Morgan (D-79), Rep. Anne Stava-Murray (D-81), Suzanne Akhras (D-82), Rep. Matt Hanson (D-83), David Gill (I-87)Rep. Dagmara Avelar (D-85), , Rep. Sharon Chung (D-91), Kristen Chiaro (D-95), Rep. Harry Benton (D-97), Rep. Natalie Manley (D-98), Jarrett Clem (D-104), LaToya Greenwood (D-114).
The Planned Parenthood Action Fund endorsements include:
US House:
Congressperson Robin Kelly (IL-02), Congressperson Delia Ramirez (IL-03), Congressperson Jesus “Chuy” Garcia (IL – 04) Congressperson Sean Casten (IL-06), Congressperson Jan Schakowsky ( IL-09), Congressperson Brad Schneider (IL – 11), Congressperson Bill Foster (IL – 11) Congressperson Nikki Budzinski (IL-13), Congressperson Lauren Underwood (IL-14), Congressperson Eric Sorensen (IL-17).
Advisory Ballot Questions endorsed:
The PPIA Board is also proud to recommend our supporters vote YES for all three advisory ballot questions.
Of special importance to Planned Parenthood Illinois Action is the advisory question to mandate insurance coverage of invitro-fertilization (IVF) treatments for Illinoisans seeking to start families. Planned Parenthood Illinois Action fights for all Illinoisans to have the right to make decisions on their family planning.
Chicago Public Schools
The PPPIA Board is also making recommendations for the Chicago School Board. These candidates have indicated their support for personal health and safety education and sexually transmitted infection testing in the appropriate Chicago Public Schools. These approvals are not endorsements but are meant to inform about the stance of the candidates on issues that are important to Planned Parenthood Illinois Action.
The candidates that are recommended include:
District 1: Jennifer Custer and Michelle Pierre
District 2: Maggie Cullerton Hooper, Ebony DeBerry, Kate Doyle, Bruce Leon
District 3: Jason Dones and Carlos Rivas, Jr
District 4: Kimberly Brown, Andrew Davis, Thomas Day, Ellen Rosenfield and Karen Zaccor
District 5: Michilla Blaise and Aaron “Jitu” Brown
District 6: Jessica Biggs and Anusha Thotakura
District 7: Jesus Ayala, Jr, Yesenia Lopez and Eva Villalobos
District 8: Felix Ponce
District 10: Karen Norrington-Reaves, Adam Parrot-Sheffer, Robert Jones, and Che "Rhymefest" Smith
These endorsements come on the heels of PPIA announcing a day of action to raise awareness of the dangers Project 2025 can have on Illinois. Project 2025 aims to create significant barriers for individuals seeking reproductive health care, particularly for marginalized groups who already face challenges in accessing quality health services. Through their legislative action and policy support, Anti-choice politicians in Illinois have already made their agenda clear. In the last legislative session, anti-sexual and reproductive health care politicians have introduced 53 bills that would dramatically limit access to essential health care.
PPIA volunteers will be informing voters during a day of action on Saturday, October 5. For more information visit https://bit.ly/PPIA2024DayOfAction.
Media Contacts:
Mary Jane Maharry/[email protected]
773-490-6046