Recap of 40th Ward Dems Candidate Fair
40th Ward Dems hosted a successful 9th Congressional District Candidate Fair on Nov. 20.
On November 20, 2025, the 40th Ward Dems hosted our first-ever Candidate Fair at the Waldorf School in Andersonville for candidates running in the 9th Congressional District. Out of 18 candidates, 13 joined us, including:
Phil Andrew, Kat Abughazaleh, Bushra Amiwala, Daniel Biss, Jeff Cohen, Laura Fine, Justin Ford, Hoan Huynh, Bethany Johnson, Sam Polan, Nick Pyati, Howard Rosenblum, and Mike Simmons.
We were genuinely impressed by how much the candidates embraced the fair-style theme — from creative tri-fold displays to thoughtful conversations centered on the issues that matter most to our community. It felt refreshing, engaging, and perfectly aligned with the spirit of the 40th Ward.
More than 100 neighbors came through between 5 p.m. and 8 p.m., each having the chance to meet the candidates and their campaign teams face-to-face and ask the questions that mattered to them. When I first began thinking about how to better connect voters and candidates, I knew a traditional forum wouldn’t cut it. With so many qualified, passionate candidates running, the idea of placing them behind a table and microphone felt limiting. That’s when the Candidate Fair was born — and I am so proud of our team for bringing the vision to life.
At the end of the fair, participants had the chance to take part in a Ranked Choice “Straw Poll,” using beans to mark their first, second, and third choices:
One Lima Bean for 1st Rank
One Chickpea for 2nd Rank
One Black Bean for 3rd Rank
Results from the Straw Poll!
The straw poll wasn’t scientific — and it wasn’t meant to be. Anyone could participate: neighbors walking through, campaign staff, even kids who were excited to play along. It was simply a fun, interactive way to reflect on the conversations folks had just had and think a little deeper about the people running to represent them.
Thank you to every candidate, volunteer, neighbor, and family who showed up with curiosity, enthusiasm, and an open mind. This was a new idea for us, and your participation made it not only possible, but interactive. With several open seats up for representation, this is a unique time in Illinois' political history. It is more important than ever to bring people together — for the sake of building community but also to increase participation in democracy and to hear from those who want to represent us up and down the ballot.