Patricia Easley

Patricia Easley

Republican Party

Candidate, U.S. House Illinois District 7

Elections and appointments

Next election

March 17, 2026

Education

High school

Whitney M. Young Magnet High School

Bachelor's

Hampton University, 2009

Graduate

University of Illinois Chicago, 2017

Personal

Birthplace

Chicago, Ill.

Religion

Baptist

Profession

Policy advisor

Contact

Campaign Facebook

Campaign X

Personal website

Patricia Easley (Republican Party) (also known as P Rae) is running for election to the U.S. House to represent Illinois' 7th Congressional District. She declared candidacy for the Republican primary scheduled on March 17, 2026.

Easley completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Patricia Easley was born in Chicago, Illinois. She graduated from Whitney M. Young Magnet High School. She earned a bachelor's degree from Hampton University in 2009 and a graduate degree from the University of Illinois Chicago in 2017. Her career experience includes working as a policy advisor, educator, and media host.

Easley has been affiliated with the following organizations:

• ChicagoRED, Founder and Chair
• Black Voices for Trump
• Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.
• Phi Alpha Delta
• Chicago Westside NAACP
• Every Block a Village

Elections

2026

See also: Illinois' 7th Congressional District election, 2026

General election

The primary will occur on March 17, 2026. The general election will occur on November 3, 2026. General election candidates will be added here following the primary.

General election for U.S. House Illinois District 7

Nathan Billips (Independent) and Anita Rao (Independent) are running in the general election for U.S. House Illinois District 7 on November 3, 2026.

		Candidate
		Nathan Billips (Independent)
	Submit photo	Anita Rao (Independent)

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	There are no incumbents in this race.
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary

Democratic primary for U.S. House Illinois District 7

The following candidates are running in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Illinois District 7 on March 17, 2026.

		Candidate
		Richard Boykin
		Kina Collins
		Melissa Conyears-Ervin
		Anthony Driver Jr.
	Submit photo	David Ehrlich
		Thomas Fisher
		La Shawn Ford
		Jason Friedman
		Rory Hoskins
		Anabel Mendoza
		Jazmin Robinson
		Reed Showalter
	Submit photo	Felix Tello

---

	There are no incumbents in this race.
= 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

• Jerico Brown (D)
• Kamaria Kali (D)
• Danica Leigh (D)
• John McCombs (D)
• William Volny (D)

Republican primary

Republican primary for U.S. House Illinois District 7

Patricia Easley (R) and Chad Koppie (R) are running in the Republican primary for U.S. House Illinois District 7 on March 17, 2026.

		Candidate
		Patricia Easley
		Chad Koppie

---

	There are no incumbents in this race.
= 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

• Tekita Martinez (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

Patricia Easley completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Easley'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.

Patricia “P Rae” Easley, M.Ed. is a multilingual Chicago-based educator, financial professional, and media personality known for her leadership in education, finance, and public affairs. She is the host of The Black Excellence Hour on WVON 1690 AM, where she leads discussions on policy, culture, and civic engagement impacting Chicago and communities nationwide.

Easley holds a Bachelor of Science in Finance from Hampton University and a Master of Education in Language, Literacy, and Culture from the University of Illinois at Chicago. Her diverse career spans international education and wealth management, including serving as an educational consultant in Senegal, West Africa, and managing over $1 million in client assets as a Wealth Manager at Merrill Lynch.

Easley has been recognized by President Donald J. Trump for her community leadership and advocacy, receiving acknowledgment in public remarks and social media posts. She has been a White House guest four times, contributing to policy discussions focused on housing, education, and economic development that directly impact everyday Americans.

A frequent contributor to FOX News, Newsmax, and OANN, Easley brings an independent and solutions-driven perspective to national issues. Her campaign theme — “We Deserve the Best of it All” — reflects her belief that every citizen deserves dignity, opportunity, and a government that works for them.

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?

• The United States of America functions for the benefits of the citizens through our collective tax contributions. Every dollar should go to serve the needs of Americans before anyone else should be considered.
• The 7th Congressional District is America's heart. Every road in America leads to our district and therefore, we must have a strong relationship with the federal government in order to not only drive the district but the rest of the country. We must become the model of what health, safety, and security can be. Through intergovernmental cooperation, we can meet the needs of the district and make America great for the citizens who call the district home.
• We deserve more than the liberal progressive failure that is bankrupting Americans and leaving citizens behind. We have seen the results of Democratic leadership. Because we have high self-esteem, it is apparent that it is time to make a new and better choice. The corruption and fiscal mismanagement of municipal agencies has created a crisis that only the federal government can resolve through intergovernmental diplomacy. I am the representative to the federal government that our district deserves because we deserve the best of everything including government.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

I am most passionate about housing. I grew up in Congressman Danny Davis office while he served on the House Financial Services Committee. I volunteered to rollout an initiative called "With Ownership Wealth" sponsored by the Congressional Black Caucus. I witnessed people achieve the American dream of purchasing a home only to watch it be swept away by corruption in the mortgage industry. I learned about federal housing funds and found out the Chicago Housing Authority was hoarding federal dollars while pushing Americans out of the district. As congresswoman, I will fight for federal dollars to directly impact citizens rather than being used as a tool of manipulation by the municipal agencies.

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

I look up to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. She was the ultimate representative of our country to the world. She showcased the power of American women and how our flag gives all of our citizens power and legitimacy around the world. Race nor gender hindered her from doing her job and we were actually assets as she exercised peace on behalf of the United States of America

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

The core responsibility of anyone elected to office is to represent the interests of the electorate to the legislative body so that the electorate benefits from the legislation. One should also prioritize its electorate when addressing the legislature because the people cannot represent themselves.

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

I remember Amy Fischer and Joey Buttfuoco's relationship. My parents were really into news and talk radio and I remember hearing those names so much. Amy tried to kill Joey's wife because she loved him and Joey was a bad guy. I was 3 or 4 years old. Even then, I didn't understand why we had to talk about these people so much.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

My very first job was interning for State Senator Barack Obama and Governor Rod Blagojevich while participating in the Illinois Governmental Internship Program. The program was sponsored by the Illinois State Board of Education and brought high school seniors from around the state to the state capital to earn high school credits for working in government. I participated during the fall semester of my senior year in 2004.

What is your favorite book? Why?

Native Son by Richard Wright. The protagonist Bigger Thomas was the quintessential villain in a victimized society. He was from the Low End Area of the Bronzeville Community on Chicago's southside; which also happens to be in what is currently the 7th Congressional District. He had intellectual and mental disabilities during a time of economic and social change in Chicago. He was unable to find love that he valued and was too degenerate to try to save himself. The book taught me that a victimized mentality will lead to your demise because you won't even have enough sense to clean up your messes.

What do you perceive to be the United States’ greatest challenges as a nation over the next decade?

Cleaning up the mess that the open borders caused. We have a challenge of deporting an undetermined amount of non citizens who are in our country without authorization. Their presence stagnates American wealth and prosperity.

What are your thoughts on term limits?

Term limits are important. Elected officials need to accomplish the legislative goals and once those goals are accomplished, someone else should take the position. A political seat is not a crown to hoard and pass down.

Do you believe that compromise is necessary or desirable for policymaking?

Of course. Groupthink is the death of democracy. Everybody has to bring their ideas to the table and be able to mold them into a tangible solution that everyone can benefit from.

Candidates hear many personal stories from voters. Is there a story that you’ve heard that you found particularly touching or memorable?

I am a deep supporter of the America First Movement because of Operation Legend. This was an initiative by President Trump during his first term that sent federal law enforcement to local municipalities to solve cold cases and dismantle criminal organizations. When Operation Legend came to the Austin community, they solved THREE murders in my family including my favorite auntie's favorite child. I watched my Auntie Renee fight for justice for her son Abraham Cooper by calling the Chicago Police Department detectives at Area 4 every day. I watched her die of grief. Our family was given justice through the safety driven policies of the America First Movement.

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

Campaign finance information for this candidate is not yet available from the Federal Elections Commission. That information will be published here once it is available.

See also

2026 Elections

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Government

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Newsletters

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External links

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Candidate

U.S. House Illinois District 7

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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)