Rep. Danny Davis (D-Ill.) announced on July 31 that he will not seek reelection in 2026, ending a congressional career that has spanned nearly 30 years, and decades more in Chicago public life.
Davis, 83, made the announcement surrounded by family, faith leaders, and supporters in the West Side neighborhood of East Garfield Park. “We’re not going to go away,” Davis said. “But the time has come.”
The Chicago Democrat has represented Illinois’s 7th Congressional District since 1997, serving much of the city’s South and West Sides and nearby suburbs. He currently sits on the House Ways and Means Committee and previously chaired its Worker and Family Support Subcommittee.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) praised Davis as a “tremendous champion for racial, social and economic justice,” citing his work on the Second Chance Act, which expanded services for people returning from prison. Davis also co-founded the Congressional Caucus on Black Men and Boys.
“Danny forged a remarkable legacy and made clear his commitment to public service,” Jeffries said in a statement. “The House Democratic Caucus family will miss Danny deeply and wish him and his family the best in this next chapter.”
A former teacher and civil rights activist, Davis spent years on the Chicago City Council and Cook County Board before winning his congressional seat. He was born in Arkansas to a sharecropper and often spoke about his rise from poverty.
“I rose from the cotton fields of Arkansas,” Davis said. “I used to pick cotton. The hands that picked cotton ended up picking presidents. I’ve known five of them.”
Throughout his career, Davis worked to pass legislation to expand health care, support reentry programs, and reform policing and incarceration. He also visited Cook County Jail on Christmas and hosted workshops for job seekers with criminal records.
In recent years, Davis faced competitive primary challenges, with questions raised about his age and whether he remained the best fit for the district. Throughout the challenges, he consistently emphasized the value of his experience. “I’m not running to be the quarterback for the Bears. I’m not running to carry the torch in the Olympics,” he told the Associated Press in 2024. “I’m running to use my knowledges, my expertise, my intellect.”
Davis endorsed state Rep. La Shawn Ford on Thursday as his preferred successor, calling him “young, energetic, super ready.” Others expressing interest in the seat include Chicago Treasurer Melissa Conyears-Ervin—who unsuccessfully challenged Davis in 2024—and businessman Jason Friedman.
Davis’s retirement adds to a growing number of open seats in Illinois, where Democratic Reps. Jan Schakowsky, Raja Krishnamoorthi, and Robin Kelly are also not seeking reelection to the House. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) has also said he will not pursue a sixth term in 2026.
