La Shawn K. Ford

La Shawn K. Ford has been a Democratic member of the Illinois House of Representatives representing the 8th District since 2007.¹ Before holding office, he worked as a Chicago Public Schools teacher and is a licensed real estate broker.²

He advanced a proposal to let voters decide on a 3% surtax on income over $1 million, directing the revenue to schools and property tax relief. He voted for a state law regulating the cryptocurrency industry. As chair of the Illinois Firearm Task Force, he has advocated for stronger enforcement against illegal gun trafficking and investments in community violence prevention. At a candidate forum, he said he would form a task force to protect seniors' Medicare and raise Social Security benefits. He has also urged the establishment of an overdose prevention site on Chicago’s West Side.^{2, 3, 4, 5}

His campaign says his legislative record includes laws that modernized HIV testing and expanded record sealing and expungement.⁶ It states he passed legislation requiring insurance coverage for prostate cancer screening without a co-pay.⁶ The campaign also highlights his leadership of a 'Ban the Box' effort to remove barriers to state employment for people with nonviolent records.⁶