Since U.S. Rep. Mike Quigley, D-Chicago, began representing the southwest part of Lake County four years ago, he has been unopposed in the Democratic primary election. This year, he faces three challengers in the March 17 contest.
Those three challengers — Matthew Conroy, Ellen A. Corley and Anthony Michael Tamez — take different positions from Quigley on a number of issues. They lack the experience he has gained as a member of Congress since 2009.
Quigley’s Republican opponent in 2024, Tommy Hanson, is running once again in the GOP primary, and he has a pair of opponents — Kimball Ladien and Barry Wicker.
Lake County voters in the Democratic and Republican primaries will select their nominee for the U.S. House of Representatives in the March 17 primary for the Fifth Congressional District, with the winners advancing to the Nov. 23 general election.
Though Conroy, Quigley and Tamez see affordability as the key issue, they have differing ideas on the best way to help people maintain and improve their lifestyle.
Conroy, 37, of Chicago, is a onetime financial advisor and learning development professional.
Conroy said solving the “housing crisis” is the place to start because 800,000 people in the country are homeless, and 35,000 are military veterans. Increasing the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs budgets will help.
“We need to build more housing, and it needs to be affordable,” he said. “We need to stop corporate consolidation of grocery stores,” he added, as a way to lower the price of food. “We need to use the antitrust laws to stop the mergers.”
Quigley, 67, said in an email that affordability is the most important issue facing his constituents. He said President Donald Trump’s solution of using tariffs to reduce prices is a failure. They have made goods more expensive for people. Congress must act to lower the cost of utilities, housing and healthcare, he said.
“Core pillars of the American dream — homeownership, quality education, and affordable health care — are still out of reach for too many families,” Quigley said in the email. “Donald Trump has done nothing to meaningfully address affordability and has instead pursued policies that have made it worse.”
Tamez, 26, of Chicago, is Native American. He was elected to represent the 17th District of the Chicago Police District Council. He said he is running because it is time for a generational change in Congress.
Eliminating the tariffs imposed by Trump for nearly a year is one way. Tamez said he would reduce the cost of living. Loosening corporate control of grocery stores and food manufacturers is the best way to make food more affordable, he said. Some manufacturers give different names to identical products.
“They are putting American farmers out of work,” Tamez said. “They are reducing competition and increasing prices.”
Abolishing the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency is a must for Tamez and Conroy. Tamez said his grandfather was briefly detained because “of the color of his skin.”
“They wanted to deport him to Mexico,” Tamez said. “It’s shocking what they are doing. Borders were a colonial strategy forced on indigenous people. People need to come here legally because they are fleeing violence.”
Though Quigley has not suggested abolishing ICE, he said he introduced legislation to freeze funding for ICE and U.S. Customs and Border Patrol until, “they end their illegal and hazardous behavior. A thorough overhaul of the immigration system is needed.
“Congress must acknowledge that the time for quick fixes is long past and that it’s high time to tackle comprehensive immigration reform,” Quigley said. “The current administration’s policy of sowing fear and chaos is completely counterproductive to the goals of addressing illegal immigration.”
Along with abolishing ICE, Conroy said there needs to be a better way to handle immigration for people who want to legally come to the U.S. There should be more immigration judges to expedite the process for people who are seeking asylum in this country.
“I despise the way the government is treating people because of their skin color,” Conroy said. “Donald Trump said he was going to get rid of the worst of the worst, but 75% of the people arrested have no criminal record at all.”
Both Conroy and Tamez said they support legislation introduced by U.S. Rep. Delia Ramirez, D-Chicago, which limits the sale of military weapons to Israel. They call it the “block the bombs” law. The use of arms must comply with international law.
“I hate all the wars there,” Conroy said, referring to Gaza and Iran. “There was genocide in Gaza. We should support the (international court) warrants against (Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu and Yoav Galant, and those against the leaders of Hamas.”
Also referring to some of Israel’s actions in Gaza as genocide, Tamez said he is opposed to the wars in the entire Middle East, including Gaza, Palestine and Iran. He wants all military aid to Israel stopped. Though Hamas attacked Israel, the Israelis turned their response into genocide, he said.
“It should not have gone on for as long as it has, holding an entire people hostage,” Tamez said.
Quigley welcomed the Gaza ceasefire when it was finally arranged last year. He also said in a news release he continues his support for a two-state solution, but criticized ministers in Netanyahu’s government for behavior “tantamount to ethnic cleansing.”
“The United States and our partners in the region must do our part to help maintain a lasting peace, ensure Israel’s long-term security, rebuild Gaza and establish a true path forward for the peaceful coexistence of two states for the Palestinian and Israeli people,” he said.
Repeated attempts to contact Corley were unsuccessful.
Three seek GOP nomination
Hanson, 71, is a real estate professional who lives in Chicago. He would like to make credit card interest, insurance premiums, tuition and a variety of business expenses deductible from income taxes.
He wants more training for immigration officers, and wants Congress to be more aggressive in its approach to legislation rather than ceding power to the president.
Neither Ladien nor Wicker could be reached for comment.
Early voting is ongoing at Deerspring Pool in Deerfield, the Fremont Township Center in Mundelein, the Grant Township Center in Ingleside, the History Center of Lake Forest-Lake Bluff in Lake Forest, the Lake Villa Township office in Lake Villa, the Lake County Central Permit Facility in Libertyville, the Vehe Barn in Deer Park and the Wauconda Township office.
Other early voting sites include William E. Peterson Park in Prairie View, Zion City Hall, Diamond Lake Recreation Center in Mundelein, the Highwood Library and Community Center, Lake Barrington Village Hall, the Lake County Courthouse in Waukegan, the Lilac Cottage at Bowen Park in Waukegan, the North Chicago Public Library and Round Lake Beach Village Hall.
The district includes all or part of the Barrington communities, Long Grove, Lake Zurich, Deer Park and Kildeer, as well as parts of Chicago and the Cook County suburbs.
