Christian Maxwell
Christian Maxwell (Republican Party) is running for election to the U.S. House to represent Illinois' 1st Congressional District. She is on the ballot in the general election on November 3, 2026. She advanced from the Republican primary on March 17, 2026.
Maxwell completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025. Click here to read the survey answers.
Biography
Christian Maxwell was born in Belleville, Illinois. She earned a high school diploma from Belleville Township East High School and a bachelor's degree from the University of Illinois Chicago in 2012. Her career experience includes working as a business consultant.[1]
Elections
2026
See also: Illinois' 1st Congressional District election, 2026
Illinois' 1st Congressional District election, 2026 (March 17 Republican primary)
Illinois' 1st Congressional District election, 2026 (March 17 Democratic primary)
General election
The candidate list in this election may not be complete.
General election for U.S. House Illinois District 1
Incumbent Jonathan Jackson and Christian Maxwell are running in the general election for U.S. House Illinois District 1 on November 3, 2026.
Candidate | ||
 | Jonathan Jackson (D) | |
 | Christian Maxwell (R)  | |
| ||||
| = 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. | ||||
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Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for U.S. House Illinois District 1
Incumbent Jonathan Jackson defeated Jerico Brown in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Illinois District 1 on March 17, 2026.
Candidate | ||
| ✔ | | Jonathan Jackson |
 | Jerico Brown (Write-in) | |
| ||||
| = 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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Joely Faren King (D)
Republican primary election
Republican primary for U.S. House Illinois District 1
Christian Maxwell defeated Marcus Lewis in the Republican primary for U.S. House Illinois District 1 on March 17, 2026.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Christian Maxwell | 64.6 | 8,471 |
 | Marcus Lewis | 35.4 | 4,632 | |
| Total votes: 13,103 | |||
| = 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
- Brian Kovaka (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
Christian Maxwell completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Maxwell's responses.
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My journey has taken me from building successful businesses to leading grassroots initiatives that uplift and empower our communities. I believe that Illinois deserves leaders who put people first — not politics. My passion for protecting our freedoms and restoring safety, opportunity, and accountability to our state drives me every day.
I’m committed to standing up for parents, advocating for fiscal responsibility, and pushing back against the radical policies that have harmed our families. My mission is clear: to fight for the future of Illinois, where families can thrive and communities can feel safe again.- Restoring Safety and Accountability Illinois families deserve safe neighborhoods and accountable leadership. I will fight to restore law and order, protect our communities, and hold leaders accountable for putting politics over public safety.
- Empowering Families and Protecting Parental Rights Families should be in control of their children’s education and well-being — not the government. I will advocate for parents’ rights, quality education, and policies that strengthen families rather than undermine them.
- Fighting Fiscal Mismanagement and Tax Hikes Illinoisans work hard to build their futures, but reckless spending and endless tax hikes are holding us back. I will push for fiscal responsibility, lower taxes, and smarter budgeting to put money back into your pockets.
Moral fiber goes hand-in-hand with integrity, reflecting the inner strength to make difficult decisions based on what is right, not what is easy. It involves having a clear sense of right and wrong, standing firm in the face of challenges, and being a beacon of ethical conduct for others to follow. These qualities build trust with the public, foster respect within the political arena, and are essential for making decisions that uphold the values and well-being of the community.
Additionally, the Small Business Committee interests me because I strongly believe in supporting entrepreneurs and small businesses. It’s crucial to create an environment where small businesses can grow and thrive, free from excessive regulations. Both committees would allow me to advocate for meaningful change in these areas that impact families and the economy.
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 website
Maxwell's campaign website stated the following:
Public Safety
Safer streets through strong law enforcement support balanced with community-focused prevention programs.
Crime is the top concern in IL-01. My plan includes the Retail and Community Safety Enforcement Act (RCSEA) to dismantle organized crime networks, the Law Enforcement Protection and Advancement Act (LEPAA) for police funding and mental health crisis training, and a new Community Policing Equity Fund for youth mentorship. Goal: Reduce violent crime by 20% in pilot neighborhoods.
Economy & Jobs
Tax relief and job creation for working families, with a goal of 5,000 new jobs by 2028.
Fighting inflation with the Essential Goods Tax Relief Act, supporting small landlords with tax deferment programs, and creating IL-01 Economic Revitalization Zones with federal tax breaks for businesses in high-unemployment areas. Includes micro-grants for urban entrepreneurs and workforce training incentives for employers.
Education
Empowering parents with school choice and closing achievement gaps without undermining public schools.
The Parent-Led Tutoring Cooperative Grant provides funding for neighborhood tutoring pods, with vouchers prioritizing low-income families. The new After-School Excellence Fund brings STEM, arts, and vocational programs to underperforming schools. Goal: Improve graduation rates by 15%.
Healthcare & Family
Dignity for mothers and families through maternal care, childcare support, and affordable healthcare access.
Supporting families with the Urban Birth Equity Innovation Fund for maternal care, the Birth Center Choice & Transparency Act, Legal Access Fund for single mothers, and Childcare Stability Block Act. New Affordable Healthcare Access Grants for clinics in underserved areas. Goal: Reduce maternal mortality by 25%.
Immigration
Secure borders with immigration reforms that prioritize safety for U.S. citizens.
I will work to create or support legislation that creates sustainable pathways to citizenships for individuals who will work to adopt American culture, language and customs. I will oppose excessive sanctuary policies while emphasizing citizen priorities in jobs and resources.
Veterans & Food Security
Honoring service with programs that help 1,000+ veterans transition to civilian careers annually.
The Vet-to-Ag Accelerator helps veterans enter agriculture, Skills-to-Cert Fast-Track speeds civilian certifications, and the Veteran Innovation Voucher supports veteran inventions. The Food Freedom and Agriculture Equity Act provides tools for family farming and urban growing with climate-resilient grants.
— Christian Maxwell's campaign website (February 26, 2025)
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 May 7, 2025
