Erika Weaver

This page was current at the end of the individual's last campaign covered by Ballotpedia. Please contact us with any updates.

Erika Weaver

Democratic Party

Elections and appointments

Last election

November 3, 2020

Education

Bachelor's

Eastern Illinois University, 2008

Graduate

Eastern Illinois University, 2011

Law

Loyola University Chicago School of Law, 2017

Personal

Religion

Christian

Profession

Public Defender

Contact

Campaign website

Campaign Facebook

Campaign Twitter

Campaign Instagram

Personal LinkedIn

Erika Weaver (Democratic Party) ran for election to the U.S. House to represent Illinois' 15th Congressional District. She lost in the general election on November 3, 2020.

Weaver completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. Click here to read the survey answers.

Weaver was elected to the Mattoon Community Unit School District 2 school board in 2017.

Biography

Weaver earned a bachelor's degree from Eastern Illinois University in 2008, a master's degree from Eastern Illinois University in 2011, and a law degree from Loyola University Chicago School of Law in 2017. Her career experience includes working as a public defender. She is also a certified mediator.

Elections

2020

See also: Illinois' 15th Congressional District election, 2020

Illinois' 15th Congressional District election, 2020 (March 17 Democratic primary)

Illinois' 15th Congressional District election, 2020 (March 17 Republican primary)

General election

General election for U.S. House Illinois District 15

Mary Miller defeated Erika Weaver in the general election for U.S. House Illinois District 15 on November 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Mary Miller (R)	73.4	244,947
		Erika Weaver (D)	26.6	88,559

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 333,506
= 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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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Kathleen McManamon (L)

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. House Illinois District 15

Erika Weaver defeated Kevin Gaither, Craig Morton, and John Hursey Jr. in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Illinois District 15 on March 17, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Erika Weaver	51.9	17,778
		Kevin Gaither	22.3	7,653
		Craig Morton	19.2	6,576
		John Hursey Jr.	6.6	2,244

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 34,251 (100.00% precincts reporting)
= 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.

Republican primary election

Republican primary for U.S. House Illinois District 15

Mary Miller defeated Darren Duncan, Kerry Wolff, and Charles Ellington in the Republican primary for U.S. House Illinois District 15 on March 17, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Mary Miller	57.4	48,129
		Darren Duncan	21.8	18,309
	Submit photo	Kerry Wolff	13.4	11,208
		Charles Ellington	7.4	6,200

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 83,846 (100.00% precincts reporting)
= 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

• Kimberly Wade (R)
• Lori Fuller (R)
• Ron McCuan (R)
• Jacob Lane (R)
• Alex Walker (R)
• John Christian Bambenek (R)
• Kent Gray (R)

Campaign themes

2020

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Erika Weaver completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Weaver's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Expand all | Collapse all

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

Erika is a mom of three amazing young adults, Coles County Public Defender, and member of the Mattoon Board of Education. She is an alumna of Lake Land College, Eastern Illinois University, and Loyola University Chicago School of Law. After law school, she worked a post-graduate legal fellowship with Land of Lincoln Legal Aid, as well as a part-time job in a local factory. While working two jobs, she studied for the bar exam. After receiving her law license, Erika worked briefly in private practice before landing in the Coles County Public Defender's office.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• Erika has proven leadership and advocacy in times of crisis and social challenges
• Erika's character and conduct will always be consistent
• Erika is not beholden to party, and will carry the voice of the people to DC

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Education:

Education is the cornerstone of this nation. We must invest in our public schools system, expand early childhood education and fully fund public education. Every child in Illinois deserves access to a quality education will allow them to reach their full potential - no matter the location of the school they attend, the color of their skin or how much money their parents make.

This pandemic has highlighted the need for protecting our public education system. Despite attempts to reduce federal funding by $6.1 billion and deny public school's funds available during COVID-19, we need to increase the amount of funding to our public schools to ensure that every student has an excellent quality education that prepares them to be global citizens in this technological world.

Healthcare:
Everyone should receive quality healthcare and have access to affordable healthcare. Mobile units and telehealthcare can provide access to affordable healthcare in rural areas. Particularly in times of crisis, we must empower our healthcare systems to manage the needs of their communities effectively. The disproportionate American COVID-19 statistics are not theoretical - they represent real American lives. A lack of national and local leadership, unfortunately, continues to put public health and the national economy in jeopardy.

Economic Development:

Nothing is more important than creating good-paying jobs that can support a middle-class life-from nurses,

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

I have been blessed to have women in my life who have been loving, wise, ambitious, and unwavering. These women have been friends, classmates, colleagues, and mentors. As much as I appreciate them, the most important young women in my life are my daughters. They never cease to amaze me with their strength and growth. They give me laughter, guidance, and correction. They are light years ahead of where I was at their ages, and I am honored to be here with them as they continue to grow.

The woman in politics that I feel the most affinity to is Congresswoman Shirley Chisolm. She was absolutely excellent! She was intentional, involved, inspiring, and indomitable. As I observe and experience challenges in this election cycle, I am astounded to know that many of these challenges were before Congresswoman Chisolm, and they are still here today. I have heard a lot of people quote Chisolm, while never challenging the constructs that made her presidential candidacy beyond difficult. Her ability to campaign with grace and veracity resonates with me.

Is there a book, essay, film, or something else you would recommend to someone who wants to understand your political philosophy?

I believe that my political philosophy could be summarized in watching any documentary on Congresswoman Shirley Chishlom. She is the woman in politics that I feel the most affinity to is Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm. She was absolutely excellent! She was intentional, involved, inspiring, and indomitable. She understood the challenges before her and faced them head on. She stood up for the good of the people even when it was not popular. She rejected committee assignments that did not directly benefit her district, and she spoke up for people who could not speak for themselves. She put her character before party lines, and she has my utmost respect and appreciation for that.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

The qualities that I believe would make me a successful officeholder is that I have lived through so many of the struggles that people are facing everyday. This pandemic has leveled our country and demonstrated the numerous challenges we face in providing equitable opportunities to hard-working Americans. What would make me a successful officeholder is that I understand the impact on households and families when decisions are made. I have empathy, transparency, integrity, and a desire and ability to advocate for every person in this district despite party affiliation, agreements, or status. I am committed to the service.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

The first historic event that I remember is not a national event, it is personal. As a young child, I remember having a German Shepard who was always around me. I remember how aggressively he protected me. As a child, I only understood that he barked and became angry around certain people and he had to be blocked off from them. As an adult I realize that he was protecting me. I remember that he went missing at some point, and he wasn't the type of dog to ever leave. One day we found his paw in a flower pot near the driveway.

This was historic for me because it was the first time that I remember having safety and security stolen from me. He was my first advocate and protector. It is also historic because it innately caused me to be a ardent advocate for those who feel unprotected, unheard, and unseen. We all deserve to have someone who will selflessly advocate for our best interest, and that resonates with me.

What was the last song that got stuck in your head?

The last two songs that were stuck in my head (by the same artist): "Everything means nothing without you" and "Senorita" both by Shawn Mendes. These were songs that my daughter sang a lot and I found myself singing really loudly one day in the car.

Do you believe that it's beneficial for representatives to have previous experience in government or politics?

I believe that it is extremely beneficial for anyone who pursues a federal office to have some experience in politics and elected leadership. It fosters an understanding of the roles of government. It allows that person to understand the gravity of leadership and decisions that consider everyone in the space. It gives insight into the level of sacrifice necessary to be a good and effect advocate for people.

Do you believe that two years is the right term length for representatives?

I do not. I support terms limits, but also adjusting the terms of representatives to at least 4 years. This would allow new and existing members time to focus on the work of the people. The two-year term requires representatives to spend half of their time running for office and fundraising.

What are your thoughts on term limits?

I support term limits.

Both sitting representatives and candidates for office hear many personal stories from the residents of their district. Is there a story that you’ve heard that you found particularly touching, memorable, or impactful?

I hear stories from so many in our district who are struggling to find trusted leadership and comfort. I hear stories of people who are facing housing insecurity, food insecurity, challenges to support their children's education, and trying to decipher what is true and what is not. I know people who have lost loved ones to drug addiction and overdose, or family members who struggle with maintaining their mental health. It stays with me because this is what I hear throughout our district and we need services in place to help people navigate through these challenges, be employed and have the dignity of providing for themselves and their families. It is impactful for me because I know the struggles of homelessness and the fight to transition out of poverty. This is why I want to carry these voices to DC.

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.

See also

2020 Elections

What's on the ballot? U.S. President U.S. Congress U.S. Congress special elections State executives State legislatures State courts Ballot measures Municipal government School boards Election analysis hub

Government

Who represents me? U.S. Congress State executives State legislators State courts Ballot measures Municipal government School boards

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External links

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Footnotes

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Illinois' current delegation to the United States Congress

Senators

Tammy Duckworth (D)

Dick Durbin (D)

Representatives

District 1

Jonathan Jackson (D)

District 2

Robin Kelly (D)

District 3

Delia Ramirez (D)

District 4

Jesus Garcia (D)

District 5

Mike Quigley (D)

District 6

Sean Casten (D)

District 7

Danny Davis (D)

District 8

Raja Krishnamoorthi (D)

District 9

Jan Schakowsky (D)

District 10

Brad Schneider (D)

District 11

Bill Foster (D)

District 12

Mike Bost (R)

District 13

Nikki Budzinski (D)

District 14

Lauren Underwood (D)

District 15

Mary Miller (R)

District 16

Darin LaHood (R)

District 17

Eric Sorensen (D)

Democratic Party (16)

Republican Party (3)