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Ashley Banks
Ashley Banks (independent) is running for election to the U.S. House to represent Illinois' 2nd Congressional District. She declared candidacy for the general election scheduled on November 3, 2026.[source]
Banks completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025. Click here to read the survey answers.
Biography
Ashley Banks was born in Chicago, Illinois. She earned a high school diploma from Crete-Monee High School and attended Olive Harvey Community College. Banks' career experience includes working as an entrepreneur, journalist, and election judge.[1]
Elections
2026
See also: Illinois' 2nd Congressional District election, 2026
General election
The primary will occur on March 17, 2026. The general election will occur on November 3, 2026. Additional general election candidates will be added here following the primary.
General election for U.S. House Illinois District 2
Ashley Banks is running in the general election for U.S. House Illinois District 2 on November 3, 2026.
Candidate | ||
 | Ashley Banks (Independent)  | |
| ||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for U.S. House Illinois District 2
The following candidates are running in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Illinois District 2 on March 17, 2026.
Candidate | ||
| Toni Brown | ||
 | Yumeka Brown | |
 | Eric France | |
 | Jesse L. Jackson, Jr. | |
 | Patrick Keating | |
 | Donna Miller | |
| Sidney Moore | ||
 | Robert Peters | |
 | Willie Preston | |
 | Adal Regis | |
| ||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Robin Kelly (D)
- Jeremy Young (D)
Republican primary election
Republican primary for U.S. House Illinois District 2
Mike Noack and Ashley Ramos are running in the Republican primary for U.S. House Illinois District 2 on March 17, 2026.
Candidate | ||
 | Mike Noack | |
 | Ashley Ramos | |
| ||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Calvin Coleman (R)
Endorsements
Ballotpedia is gathering information about candidate endorsements. To send us an endorsement, click here.
Campaign themes
2026
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Ashley Banks completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Banks' responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
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from Chicago, Illinois not Bel-Air. I’m a 40-year-old candidate for change, born and raised right here in Illinois. I’ve spent much of my life learning, working, and growing in the 2nd Congressional District.
My campaign, **Banks for IL-02**, is focused on restoring respect, value, and transparency between the people and those elected to serve them.
I’ve proudly served as a freelance journalist, photographer, and election judge, and I’ve been actively involved in politics and community work since my teenage years. I’m a graduate of Crete-Monee High School, and I’m currently completing two degrees one in Journalism at Olive-Harvey College and another in International Marketing at DePaul University.
Over the years, I’ve gained hands-on experience across several industries that reflect the everyday realities of working families. I’ve worked in education as a tutor for DePaul University and attended Central Arizona College for teaching. I’ve also worked in transportation as a CTA bus driver and truck driver, and in logistics as an Amazon warehouse employee.- Real Experience. Real Representation. I’ve lived and worked in the same communities I’m running to represent from education and journalism to transportation and labor. I understand the everyday struggles of working families because I’ve lived them. My experience isn’t just professional it’s personal. That’s why I’m committed to fighting for real solutions that deliver real change.
- Respect, Value, and Transparency My campaign, **Banks for IL-02**, is about restoring trust in leadership. I believe voters deserve honesty, clear communication, and decisions that truly reflect their needs not political games or empty promises. Respect means listening. Value means action. Transparency means accountability. Together, they’re the foundation for better leadership and a stronger community.
- Action and Accountability I’m not running for a title I’m running to make things happen. I stand for efficiency, timely action, and clear plans that keep District 2 moving forward. Leadership means delivering results, not excuses. I’ll bring the people’s voice to Washington and make sure it’s heard, respected, and acted upon.
I’m passionate about improving healthcare for all. My focus is on closing the gaps in mental health care and breaking down the barriers that prevent families from receiving quality physical health services. Access to care should never depend on income or zip code.
I also believe in supporting the professionals who make our healthcare system work our nurses and frontline staff. By reducing the patient-to-nurse ratio, we can relieve overworked staff, improve patient care, and create safer, more efficient hospitals and clinics.
Social Policy
I believe officials should be accountable, transparent, and committed to the communities they serve. Respectful communication matters, but real change comes from action that improves lives.
A member of Congress should thoroughly study issues, make informed decisions, and ensure that funds are spent responsibly to benefit the people. Equally important is being present and involved in the community listening to constituents, understanding their needs, and representing their voices effectively in Washington.
I want my story to show others that resilience, perseverance, and hope can turn challenges into opportunities and that we all have the power to make a lasting impact on our communities.
My condition became a case study at the University of Chicago, and from an early age, I learned the importance of resilience, hope, and being part of something bigger than myself. This experience shaped who I am today and inspires my commitment to helping others overcome challenges through public service.
I started as a cleaner, and local residents in the community signed up to employ us youth. That experience taught me the value of hard work, responsibility, and community involvement lessons that continue to guide me in public service today.
By promoting fair policies, economic growth, and accountability in government, we can create a stronger, more stable future for all.
I believe term limits strengthen democracy by keeping leadership connected to the people they serve and focused on results rather than personal political gain.
Many families in our district simply want the chance to live a stable, dignified life without working long hours every day just to make ends meet. My goal is to create policies that support fair wages, affordable housing, and opportunities for financial stability, so every resident can thrive without sacrifice.
She thanked me and told me she had never voted in her 30 years of life, but after our conversation, she decided she would vote for the first time. I reminded her that politics often involves moral choices and that no one wants to vote for the wrong candidate. I also emphasized that voting is how we bring in leaders committed to real change leaders who work to improve lives and our communities.
Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.
Campaign finance summary
Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.
See also
2026 Elections
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on November 7, 2025
