Thomas Fisher (Illinois)
Thomas Fisher (Democratic Party) is running for election to the U.S. House to represent Illinois' 7th Congressional District. He declared candidacy for the Democratic primary scheduled on March 17, 2026.[source]
Fisher completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025. Click here to read the survey answers.
Biography
Thomas Fisher was born in Chicago, Illinois. He earned a bachelor's degree from Dartmouth College in 1996 and an M.D. from the University of Chicago in 2001. His career experience includes working as a doctor.[1]
2026 battleground election
Ballotpedia identified the March 17, 2026, Democratic primary for Illinois' 7th Congressional District as a battleground election. The summary below is from our coverage of this election, found here.
Thirteen candidates are running in the Democratic primary for Illinois' 7th Congressional District on March 17, 2026.
Incumbent Danny K. Davis (D) is retiring. The last time the district was open was 1996, when Davis was first elected. Davis was most recently re-elected in 2024 with 83% of the vote. For a list of U.S. Representatives who are not running for re-election in 2026, click here.
The section below lists candidates leading in media attention and fundraising. To read more about how Ballotpedia defines noteworthy candidates, click here.
- Richard Boykin (D) is a lawyer who served on the Cook County Board of Commissioners from 2014 to 2018 and previously worked as Davis’s chief of staff.[2][3] Boykin says he would focus on lowering the cost of living and promoting public safety.[4]
- Kina Collins (D) is a political organizer.[5] Collins says she would support "Medicare for All, housing as a human right, fair wages, clean air and water, and an economy that centers people over profit."[6]
- Melissa Conyears-Ervin (D) was elected Chicago City Treasurer in 2019 and previously served in the Illinois House of Representatives from 2017 to 2019.[7] Conyears-Ervin says she would focus on the economy and would support "apprenticeships, fair wages, and local manufacturing."[8] Chicago City Clerk Anna Valencia and former Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot endorsed Conyears-Ervin.[9]
- Thomas Fisher (D) is an emergency physician.[10] Highlighting his experience as a doctor, Fisher says he would support universal healthcare and would address "inadequate insurance, inflexible jobs, and a frayed safety net."[11] 314 Action endorsed Fisher.[12]
- La Shawn Ford (D) is a former teacher who was elected to the Illinois House in 2007. Ford says he would focus on creating jobs, improving public health, and supporting criminal justice reform.[13] Davis endorsed Ford.[14]
- Jason Friedman (D) is the owner and former president of a real estate business.[15][16] Friedman says he would work to create jobs, support unions, and improve the education system.[17] The Joint Action Committee for Political Affairs endorsed Friedman.[18]
Multiple candidates are campaigning on their political experience. Boykins says he "spent decades developing relationships at all levels of government" and would be able to allocate federal funding to the district.[3] Highlighting her experience as Chicago Treasurer, Conyears-Ervin says she would be able to "expand pathways for homeownership, grow small-business opportunities, and encourage responsible investment."[8] Ford says his legislative career has been "rooted in trust, accessibility, and the belief that government should open doors."[13] Highlighting his work in the office of U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Friedman says he has a "background in public service and Democratic causes."[15]
Collins and Conyears-Ervin both ran in previous Democratic primaries for the district. Collins received 14% of the vote in 2020, 46% in 2022, and 19% in 2024. Conyears-Ervin received 21% of the vote in 2024.
As of November 2025, The Cook Political Report with Amy Walter, Inside Elections with Nathan Gonzales, and Larry J. Sabato's Crystal Ball each rated the general election Safe/Solid Democratic.
Also running in the primary are Anthony Driver Jr. (D), David Ehrlich (D), Rory Hoskins (D), Anabel Mendoza (D), Jazmin Robinson (D), Reed Showalter (D), and Felix Tello (D).
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. Additional general election candidates will be added here following the primary.
General election for U.S. House Illinois District 7
Nathan Billips and Anita Rao are running in the general election for U.S. House Illinois District 7 on November 3, 2026.
Candidate | ||
 | Nathan Billips (Independent) | |
| Anita Rao (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 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. | |
 | David Ehrlich | |
 | Thomas Fisher | |
 | La Shawn Ford | |
 | Jason Friedman | |
 | Rory Hoskins | |
 | Anabel Mendoza | |
 | Jazmin Robinson | |
 | Reed Showalter | |
 | Felix Tello | |
| ||||
| = 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
- Danica Leigh (D)
- Kamaria Kali (D)
- Jerico Brown (D)
- William Volny (D)
- John McCombs (D)
Republican primary election
Republican primary for U.S. House Illinois District 7
Patricia Easley and Chad Koppie are running in the Republican primary for U.S. House Illinois District 7 on March 17, 2026.
Candidate | ||
 | Patricia Easley | |
 | Chad Koppie | |
| ||||
| = 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)
Polls
- See also: Ballotpedia's approach to covering polls
We provide results for polls that are included in polling aggregation from RealClearPolitics, when available. We will regularly check for polling aggregation for this race and add polls here once available. To notify us of polls available for this race, please email us.
Election campaign finance
Candidate spending
| Name | Party | Receipts* | Disbursements** | Cash on hand | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Richard Boykin | Democratic Party | $129,285 | $79,500 | $49,785 | As of September 30, 2025 |
| Kina Collins | Democratic Party | $0 | $0 | $0 | Data not available*** |
| Melissa Conyears-Ervin | Democratic Party | $225,375 | $10,332 | $223,775 | As of September 30, 2025 |
| Anthony Driver Jr. | Democratic Party | $102,600 | $27,436 | $75,164 | As of September 30, 2025 |
| David Ehrlich | Democratic Party | $0 | $0 | $0 | Data not available*** |
| Thomas Fisher | Democratic Party | $377,899 | $54,681 | $323,217 | As of September 30, 2025 |
| La Shawn Ford | Democratic Party | $256,631 | $23,457 | $233,174 | As of September 30, 2025 |
| Jason Friedman | Democratic Party | $1,500,959 | $416,508 | $1,084,451 | As of September 30, 2025 |
| Rory Hoskins | Democratic Party | $101,631 | $45,975 | $55,656 | As of September 30, 2025 |
| Anabel Mendoza | Democratic Party | $24,925 | $18,512 | $6,413 | As of September 30, 2025 |
| Jazmin Robinson | Democratic Party | $9,067 | $8,942 | $125 | As of September 30, 2025 |
| Reed Showalter | Democratic Party | $103,210 | $4,078 | $99,132 | As of September 30, 2025 |
| Felix Tello | Democratic Party | $8,410 | $1,898 | $6,512 | As of September 30, 2025 |
|
Source: Federal Elections Commission, "Campaign finance data," 2026. This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
* According to the FEC, "Receipts are anything of value (money, goods, services or property) received by a political committee." |
|||||
Satellite spending
- See also: Satellite spending
Satellite spending describes political spending not controlled by candidates or their campaigns; that is, any political expenditures made by groups or individuals that are not directly affiliated with a candidate. This includes spending by political party committees, super PACs, trade associations, and 501(c)(4) nonprofit groups.[19][20][21]
If available, this section includes links to online resources tracking satellite spending in this election. To notify us of a resource to add, email us.
| By candidate | By election |
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Endorsements
Fisher received the following endorsements. To send us additional endorsements, click here.
Campaign themes
2026
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Thomas Fisher completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Fisher's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
| Collapse all
emphasized service. Those motives shaped his life and he has spent two decades following this call to care for the community that raised him.That legacy inspired his path through Dartmouth, the University of Chicago School of Medicine, and Harvard University’s School of Public Health – and led him to emergency medicine, where he’s spent over two decades treating everyone, regardless of their background or means.
But the ER is also where the consequences of bad policy show up: gun violence, housing insecurity, untreated addiction, and lack of care. That’s why Dr. Fisher took the fight upstream – as a White House Fellow during the rollout of the ACA, a Medicaid leader in Cook County, a healthcare executive focused on equity, and the author of The Emergency: A Year of Healing and Heartbreak in a Chicago ER, a nationally acclaimed book exposing the injustices of our healthcare system.
When COVID hit, Dr. Fisher returned full-time to the ER and what he saw inspired his acclaimed book, The Emergency, named one of TIME Magazine’s 100 Must-Read Books. Through it all, he never
stopped fighting for the people failed by our political system.- Profit should never decide who lives or dies. Whether facing cancer, recovering from a car crash, or simply trying to stay healthy — every one of us will be a patient one day. Healthcare must protect us when we’re most vulnerable.
Instead, millions are being kicked off insurance, cures are being undermined, and the Trump Administration has corrupted the CDC. Life expectancy is now shorter than it was a decade ago with folks on the South and West Sides living thirty fewer years than those in Streeterville and the Gold Coast — proof we’re in a crisis.
We must provide resources to stay healthy and build a healthcare system that puts people first, no matter who we are.
Universal healthcare so everyone is covered. Period. Full stop. - Americans work hard and deliver record profits for corporations — but too many still struggle just to get by. Trump's tax breaks for millionaires come at the expense of millions losing health insurance. Again the rich get richer and the rest get nothing. My mother’s 30+ years with Chicago Public Schools meant stability and a secure retirement thanks to her union. Every worker deserves that same security. Today, wages lag while housing prices soar making it impossible for younger people to own a home and raise a family on a middle class salary. Families are squeezed by the rising cost of groceries, skyrocketing utility bills, and everyday essentials. It’s time to build an economy where working people come first — not corporations.
- In more than 20 years taking care of people in the ER, I’ve never gotten used to caring for young men and women torn apart by gunfire. I’ve lost friends to violence — losses that still haunt me. While our trauma system saves lives, the scars remain: on bodies, on families, on our entire community. We can and must do better: . Background checks and an assault weapons ban to keep deadly weapons off our streets. . Coordinated community-based interventions led by those closest to the problem. . Support for survivors that prioritizes healing, justice, and mental health. No one should have to live in fear — or carry these scars for life.
For more than 20 years, I’ve walked into an emergency room on Chicago’s South Side and met people at their most vulnerable. Those experiences taught me what qualities truly matter in public service.
First, empathy. Most patients don’t end up in the ER because of bad choices but because of political ones—poverty, violence, lack of care. An elected official must feel that pain and respond with compassion.
Second, integrity. In medicine, trust is everything. I’ve seen how profit pressures force compromises on values, and I’ve resisted. In Congress, integrity means telling the truth, standing by principles, and putting people ahead of special interests.
Third, courage and vision. I became a doctor partly because of Ben Wilson, a local teen who died after waiting hours for emergency care. That tragedy taught me to confront inequity head-on. Leadership requires boldness to challenge systems that fail us and the courage to risk political loss for moral clarity.
Fourth, servant leadership. My job has never been about status but service. The best ideas often come from those closest to the pain. A public servant must listen with humility, stay grounded in the community, and put people first in every decision.
Finally, equity and justice. I’ve seen life expectancy differ by decades between neighborhoods just miles apart. No child should live or die based on their ZIP code. Government must close those gaps and ensure healthcare, safety, and opportunity as rights, not privileges.
I’m also proud of the work I’ve done closer to home. In my ER, I helped push back against a proposal that would have segregated patients by insurance status—Medicaid and Medicare patients in one part of the department, privately insured in another. That plan would have institutionalized inequity right in the hospital. Alongside colleagues, I resisted until the proposal was dropped and we organized care by acuity instead of by the size of someone’s wallet. That victory was a reminder that persistence and moral clarity can bend institutions toward fairness.
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
Fisher's campaign website stated the following:
ON THE ISSUES
Dr. Fisher is running for Congress to bring urgency, moral clarity, and compassion to our broken politics.
HEALTHCARE FOR ALL
Profit should never decide who lives or dies. Whether facing cancer, recovering from a car crash, or simply trying to stay healthy — every one of us will be a patient one day. Healthcare must protect us when we’re most vulnerable.
Instead, millions are being kicked off insurance, cures are being undermined, and the Trump Administration has corrupted the CDC. Life expectancy is now shorter than it was a decade ago with folks on the South and West Sides living thirty fewer years than those in Streeterville and the Gold Coast — proof we’re in a crisis.
We must provide resources to stay healthy and build a healthcare system that puts people first, no matter who we are.
Universal healthcare so everyone is covered. Period. Full stop.
Close the death gap between West Garfield and Streeterville by investing in proven health equity and community development solutions
Protect reproductive rights and restore what’s been lost.
Invest in 21st-century treatments that extend and improve lives
A WORKING PEOPLE’S ECONOMY
Profit should never decide who lives or dies. Whether facing cancer, recovering from a car crash, or simply trying to stay healthy — every one of us will be a patient one day. Healthcare must protect us when we’re most vulnerable.
Instead, millions are being kicked off insurance, cures are being undermined, and the Trump Administration has corrupted the CDC. Life expectancy is now shorter than it was a decade ago with folks on the South and West Sides living thirty fewer years than those in Streeterville and the Gold Coast — proof we’re in a crisis.
We must provide resources to stay healthy and build a healthcare system that puts people first, no matter who we are.
Universal healthcare so everyone is covered. Period. Full stop.
Close the death gap between West Garfield and Streeterville by investing in proven health equity and community development solutions
Protect reproductive rights and restore what’s been lost.
Invest in 21st-century treatments that extend and improve lives
COMMUNITY SAFETY
In more than 20 years taking care of people in the ER, I’ve never gotten used to caring for young men and women torn apart by gunfire. I’ve lost friends to violence — losses that still haunt me. While our trauma system saves lives, the scars remain: on bodies, on families, on our entire community.
We can and must do better:
We need universal background checks, robust red flag laws, and a federal assault-weapons ban — policies rooted in common sense and in the value of protecting life.
Coordinated community-based interventions led by those closest to the problem funded by holding gun manufacturers and sellers accountable.
Support for survivors that prioritizes healing, justice, and mental health.
No one should have to live in fear — or carry these scars for life.
HOUSING AS A HUMAN RIGHT
A safe, stable home is the foundation for everything else in life — health, work, family, dignity. But across the 7th District, too many people are being pushed out of their neighborhoods, trapped in unsafe buildings, or priced out by forces they can’t control.
From the West Side to the South Loop, from Austin to Oak Park, you can see the crisis in real time: seniors on fixed incomes facing eviction, families doubled up, vacant lots sitting where homes should be, and rents rising faster than wages.
Shelter is a human right. We must build communities where people can put down roots, stay close to family, and live with dignity — no matter their ZIP code, income, or background.
Reinvest in aging buildings and protect tenants from unsafe conditions and predatory practices.
End exclusionary zoning and require every community to help solve the housing shortage.
Transform vacant lots and underused public land into mixed-income, accessible homes. Prioritizing community-driven development rather than fueling speculation that leads to displacement.
Expand federal rental assistance and eviction protections to keep people housed, not displaced.
FREE & EQUITABLE EDUCATION FOR ALL
I’m a beneficiary of Chicago Public Schools. I graduated from Kenwood because teachers like Mrs. Brown (History) and Ms. Havlick (AP Biology) pushed me, challenged me, and prepared me for college. Public schools opened doors for me — and every child deserves that same opportunity.
Today, Trump’s government is banning books, intimidating teachers, rolling back civil rights protections, and defunding the Department of Education. Instead of supporting students and educators, they are politicizing classrooms and undermining our public schools. We can rebuild our education system stronger than before.
We must invest in a free, fair, and fully funded public education system that prepares every child to thrive.
Fund public education fairly by increasing federal dollars so schools are less dependent on local property taxes, ensuring every child has access to quality teachers, safe buildings, and modern learning tools — no matter their ZIP code.
Invest in community colleges and public universities so every student can access higher education without facing financial barriers.
Provide federal student debt forgiveness to relieve the burden on millions of Americans and unlock opportunities to buy a home, start a business, or support a family.
Restore civil rights protections and safeguard honest education so teachers can teach real history, students can learn without political interference, and schools remain safe and inclusive for LGBTQ+ students, students with disabilities, and every child who walks through the door.
A JUST IMMIGRATION SYSTEM
We’re strongest when everyone has a fair chance to build a life with dignity — when our policies reflect both our values and our national interest. Immigrants are essential to our neighborhoods, our workforce, and our shared future. We can have a system that is orderly and secure and one that treats people with humanity. Those goals are not in conflict; they are how we move forward together.
Here’s what that looks like:
Create a real, achievable path to citizenship for the hundreds of thousands of young people with DACA who have lived almost their entire lives in this country and strengthened it in countless ways.
Pass comprehensive immigration reform that modernizes our system, keeps families together, welcomes talent and contributions from around the world, and ensures that long-standing members of our communities can live safely and lawfully.
Fix our asylum and refugee processes so they are both secure and humane—protecting people fleeing violence and persecution while processing cases more quickly, efficiently, and compassionately.
Strengthen border security in smart, effective ways that focus on technology, staffing, and coordination—not political theater—so we uphold the rule of law while staying true to our values.
— Thomas Fisher's campaign website (December 1, 2025)
Campaign ads
View more ads here:
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 September 10, 2025
- ↑ Austin Weekly News, "Richard Boykin announces candidacy for 7th District congressional seat," September 19, 2025
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Richard Boykin 2026 campaign website, "Meet Richard, accessed November 23, 2025
- ↑ Richard Boykin 2026 campaign website, "The People’s Playbook: A Contract with the 7th District," accessed November 23, 2025
- ↑ Kina Collins 2026 campaign website, "About Me," accessed November 23, 2025
- ↑ Kina Collins 2026 campaign website, "Our Campaign's Top Issues," accessed November 23, 2025
- ↑ LegiStorm, "Former State Rep. Melissa Conyears-Ervin," accessed November 23, 2025
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Melissa Conyears-Ervin 2026 campaign website, "Home," accessed November 23, 2025
- ↑ Politico, "Will Durbin endorsement lose luster?" November 11, 2025
- ↑ Thomas Fisher 2026 campaign website, "Meet Dr. Thomas Fisher," accessed November 23, 2025
- ↑ Thomas Fisher 2026 campaign website, "Issues," accessed November 23, 2025
- ↑ 314 Action, "Thomas Fisher," accessed November 25, 2025
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 La Shawn Ford 2026 campaign website, "Experience That's Ready On Day One for the People of the 7th Congressional District," accessed November 23, 2025
- ↑ CBS News, "Congressman Danny Davis announces he won't run for re-election, endorses La Shawn Ford for his seat," July 31, 2025
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 Jason Friedman 2026 campaign website, "Meet Jason," accessed November 23, 2025
- ↑ Chicago Tribune, "Top candidates for the US House in Illinois’ 2nd, 7th, 8th and 9th districts for the 2026 election," August 19, 2025
- ↑ Jason Friedman 2026 campaign website, "Jason on the Issues," accessed November 23, 2025
- ↑ JAC, "Jason Friedman," accessed November 25, 2025
- ↑ OpenSecrets.org, "Outside Spending," accessed December 12, 2021
- ↑ OpenSecrets.org, "Total Outside Spending by Election Cycle, All Groups," accessed December 12, 2021
- ↑ National Review.com, "Why the Media Hate Super PACs," December 12, 2021
