Cook County Commissioner Donna Miller was declared the winner of the Democratic primary in Illinois’ 2nd Congressional District Tuesday, ending a comeback effort by former Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr.
Miller, who ran a health care-focused campaign, weathered criticism from opponents that her campaign was overly backed by a pro-Israel lobbying group. She won 40.4% of the vote reported Wednesday afternoon, according to unofficial results from The Associated Press.
“The voters of the 2nd Congressional District sent a message tonight that you will choose your representation in Washington,” Miller said at her Chicago Heights watch party Tuesday. “You will send someone who knows the issues. You will send someone who actually lives in the 2nd Congressional District to focus on the issues that matter in this district.”
Miller, 60, is all but guaranteed the seat in the heavily Democratic district that stretches along the lakefront on the South Side and includes suburbs like Harvey, Dolton and Pontiac. Outgoing Rep. Robin Kelly, who has held the seat for 13 years since winning a special election following Jackson’s resignation, unsuccessfully ran for U.S. Senate instead of seeking reelection. She conceded late Tuesday to the declared winner Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton.
Jackson, behind Miller at 29% of the vote, ran to win back the seat he once held for 17 years. He resigned in 2012 amid a campaign finance misuse investigation that landed him in prison. As he conceded Tuesday evening, he cited a piece of advice once given, he said, to his late father, the Rev. Jesse Jackson.
“We must learn to forgive each other, redeem each other and move on,” he said before a balloon-covered stage with posters that declared “Rise, Jesse, Rise.”
Excitement built at Miller’s watch party as initial returns showed her jumping out to an early lead that never shrank. A squad of youth cheerleaders held green and gold pompoms and wore white T-shirts with pink lettering bearing the refrain made famous in the district on billboards and commercials thanks to massive outside spending supporting her: “Go Donna Go!”
Miller’s campaign consultant, veteran political strategist Delmarie Cobb, pinned the victory Tuesday night on the optimistic tone Miller sought to strike as opponents made attacks.
“We decided to stay positive, keep our heads high and just let the chips fall where they may,” Cobb said. “I think it worked for us.”
Cobb said Miller’s campaign targeted older Black women. “That’s who comes out, that’s who votes in record numbers,” she said.
Miller, first elected to the Cook County Board in 2018, carved out a moderate lane in the crowded field of 10 candidates vying to replace Kelly, who opted to run for U.S. Senate instead of seeking reelection.
Throughout the congressional campaign, other candidates slammed Miller for being financially backed by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, which advocates for Israel’s interests and supports both Democrats and Republicans.
About two-thirds of the $2 million she raised through late February came from people who had recently contributed to AIPAC or AIPAC-affiliated groups. The dark-money super PAC Affordable Chicago Now, which opponents described as an AIPAC shell group, spent $4.4 million to support her.
Altogether, the money made her campaign one of the most financially well-supported Democratic primary campaigns Chicago has ever seen.
State Sen. Robert Peters, who campaigned as the race’s top progressive, maintained that criticism Tuesday night as he conceded.
“With Trump-aligned super PACs spending millions of dollars to buy this and other seats across Illinois, every voter should be deeply concerned,” he said in a concession statement.
Fairshake, a super PAC backed by cryptocurrency industry leaders, spent over $800,000 attacking Peters, who was the race’s second-highest fundraiser. Peters had an estimated 12.1% of the vote.
Metropolitan Water Reclamation District Commissioner Yumeka Brown appeared poised to finish in fourth place with 10.3% of reported votes, a total that signaled a strong organizing effort from her less-wealthy campaign. State Sen. Willie Preston, expected to be another top competitor, trailed with an estimated 3%.
Jackson praised the other candidates in the race as he quickly conceded Tuesday night.
He said the district must unite behind Miller to secure a Democratic win in the general election and added that Miller “fully understands what’s at stake.”
Jackson said he looked forward to “a good night’s sleep” and having time to mourn the death of his civil rights leader father, who passed away last month.
“My dad would share with me … that some days we win, some days we lose and some days we get back up and we put the pieces back together,” he said.
Miller will face Republican Michael Noack in the November election. Noack, a truck driver who touts his political-outsider status, ran unopposed.
Miller, a health care consultant who served as board chair for Planned Parenthood of Illinois, zeroed in on improving health care as her top priority on the campaign trail and insisted her record as a commissioner, including securing $3 million for a Cook County Health doula program and expanding CPR training, showed she can deliver results.
“We have to get back to data and science and focus on results, and we need to quit chasing headlines,” she said during her campaign.
A lifelong resident of the district, she said she is part of its “woven fabric,” an apparent effort to distinguish herself from other candidates in a subtle jab at several who live outside the district.
“You can’t just come to a district to pop in and out,” she said. “People know me, they see me. … I walk the block.”
Asked about her support from AIPAC-linked groups and individuals, Miller said she didn’t coordinate with the group, but aligned herself with one of its top goals: securing more military aid to Israel.
She cited her upbringing in a military family when asked if she would support such aid. “I look at military aid as a way that we can strengthen and uphold the democratic values in the Middle East,” she said.
On Tuesday night, she took the stage alongside her husband and son to crowd chants of “go, Donna, go!”
She reiterated her support for a south suburban airport near Peotone, promising to “work tirelessly to bring all sides together” to advance the long-stalled project.
“Within the next three to five years, we’ll break ground on the airport, and you’ll see the south suburbs and Chicago’s South Side begin to transform,” she said.
Miller, who has previously described herself as “anti-Trump,” also criticized the president for not supporting seniors, veteran health care and Medicaid in an interview with the Tribune.
“Cutting $880 billion out of Medicaid is not what makes people feel comfortable,” she said. “This is not what people want.”
She has previously said she rejects Trump’s rollbacks in medical research, federal employee layoffs and aggressive deportation campaigns.
