Jeff Cohen

Jeff Cohen (Democratic Party) ran for election to the U.S. House to represent Illinois' 9th Congressional District. He lost in the Democratic primary on March 17, 2026.

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?

I am an economist and fixing the family economy is my top priority. Affordability is not merely a talking point for me. 30 years of experience working on the biggest economic problems in law, government, and business guides me to know what can work in Washington and what won't. I am not a career politician, and I can't wait for lobbyists to realize that I am their worst nightmare: someone who is there for service, not salary.I have lived in the 9th District for more than 25 years, both in Chicago and in Evanston. We raised three, proud public school children here. You are my neighbors. Of one thing I am certain, the job of a Congressperson is not just law and policy making, it is also very much to take care of folks right here in the district.The economy is not just about money.  So much of the social rift in this country is caused by economic despair.  When people feel like they have no economic hope, they blame, they point fingers, and sometimes someone does far worse.  Fixing this means knowing what can actually work as a matter of economics, and then using that to pry both the left and the right loose from failed policies.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Economic stability and growth are my top priority. That doesn't just mean the stock market--it means the family economy. Closing the gap between income and groceries, income and healthcare, income and housing are central to my mission and my affordability agenda.

But I am also concerned about foreign policy and climate change. Because both don't necessarily meet us at the doorstep each day, we tend to forget that they are existentially critical. I will not take my eye off of either.