State Rep. Hoan Huynh, the first refugee and Vietnamese American elected to office in Illinois, on Wednesday joined a crowded field of competitors to replace outgoing Democratic U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky.
Huynh calls the 9th Congressional District “the Ellis Island of the Midwest.” The sprawling district, represented by Schakowsky since 1999, includes several North Shore suburbs, North Side neighborhoods in Chicago and portions of the northwest suburbs.
Huynh said he’s proud to represent both the refugee and immigrant community — and he wants constituents from the very diverse district to understand “government should work for everyone, not just for those at the top.”
Born in Vietnam to Vietnamese and Chinese parents, Huynh’s family received refugee asylum from the U.S. in the early 1990s after his father fought alongside U.S. military forces during the Vietnam War. The Yale University graduate also received a fellowship from Harvard University before beginning a career in education and public policy research at Yale. Huynh, 35, is serving his second term in the Illinois House representing the 13th District.
“My story is a story of a refugee from the rice fields to Springfield. But it’s also a story that’s similar to a lot of immigrants and refugees in this district,” Huynh said. “And I want that American dream to be for everyone. … This country saved our lives, and this country gave me opportunity. And we have to make sure that we honor the values that the country was founded on, and that we live up to that value for this generation and the one after that.”
Huynh, who lives in Chicago’s Uptown neighborhood, said his campaign will focus on working families and affordability. He’s also zeroing in on human rights and healthcare accessibility.
“We’ve seen ICE raids across the state. And we’ve seen ICE raids across the 9th Congressional District. These are folks in my communities. We have folks from all walks of life, immigrants and refugees and so I think we have to make sure that all of us feel protected,” Huynh said. “This campaign is about making sure that we protect fundamental human rights, democracy and freedom.”
Huynh joins an already crowded race. Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss, State Sen. Laura Fine, D-Glenview, social media activist Kat Abughazaleh, Skokie school board member Bushra Amiwala, Evanston activist Miracle Jenkins, Skokie civil rights attorney Howard Rosenblum and Justin Ford, an environmental health and safety professional, round out the list of candidates.
Schakowsky announced she wouldn’t be seeking reelection in May. She is currently serving her 14th term. It’s unclear whether she’ll endorse someone in the race to succeed her, but Huynh said he’ll be seeking her approval.
“We’re looking forward to running a very tough, hard and very well-fought race,” Huynh said. “And we look forward to earning her endorsement. It will be an honor to earn her endorsement, as well.”