Former Democratic Rep. Melissa Bean — known as one of Wall Street’s favorite Democrats during her first tenure in Congress — announced last week she’s running for her old seat in suburban Illinois, joining a Democratic primary contest with nine other candidates.
The crowded field in the state’s 8th Congressional District to replace Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, who is running for Senate, reflects Democratic optimism about retaking control of the House of Representatives and checking President Donald Trump’s power in 2027. The district is safely Democratic.
“I can no longer sit on the sidelines as Trump and Republicans in Congress hurt working families by decimating health care, giving billionaires tax breaks, and undermining our democracy,” Bean said in her campaign announcement. “Republicans in Congress have made it clear they won’t stand up for the Constitution and will rubber stamp any of President Trump’s reckless policies.”
Before she can get to Trump, Bean will have to defeat her fellow Democrats, some of whom will use her record against her. Until she left office in 2011, Bean was a moderate who mixed progressivism on social issues with a willingness to water down Wall Street reform legislation that was key to the Democratic agenda in the wake of the 2007 financial crisis.
