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DEMOCRATIC NOMINEE OF THE 7TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT |
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Greetings!
There is a lot happening as we head into October. Early Voting begins tomorrow in Chicago, new job and career opportunities are available across our communities, and important conversations about affordability, food insecurity, artificial intelligence and the growth of data centers are unfolding here at home and in Washington.
In this edition of The Ford Report, I’m also grateful to share two new endorsements, along with upcoming community events and information you can use.
La Shawn K. Ford
Democratic Nominee for Congress
Illinois' 7th Congressional District
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Thank you to Reproductive Freedom for All for your endorsement and for the work you have done for more than 55 years to protect reproductive freedom across our country.
I am grateful for your support and proud to stand with those working to protect access to reproductive health care and the freedom of people to make personal health care decisions without political interference.
Thank you for standing with our campaign and with communities across Illinois and the country.
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Thank you, Illinois Federation of Teachers
I am deeply grateful to the Illinois Federation of Teachers for its endorsement of my campaign for Congress.
For years, I have worked alongside educators, public employees, and working families who understand that strong public schools and strong communities go hand in hand. I am honored to have the support of an organization representing educators and public-service professionals across Illinois.
Thank you to IFT President Stacy Davis Gates, the IFT leadership, and members across our state for your confidence and support.
I value this partnership and the work we share on behalf of students, educators, public servants and families throughout Illinois.
Thank you, IFT.
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ROCK THE VOTE WEST SIDE
A community event featuring voter registration, music, refreshments, volunteer information, and a speaking program.
Sunday, October 11 | 2–4 PM
Austin, Chicago
Join Democratic nominee for Congress La Shawn K. Ford, Alderman Emma Mitts, and Alderman Monique Scott, together with Democratic Party of Illinois
Sign up: https://www.mobilize.us/organizeillinois2026/event/1026761/
The event is open to community members, and we encourage first-time and young voters to attend. It will be filled with creative activities, and with voter registration available on-site. See the flyer for sign-up information.
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I WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU
Artificial intelligence is already changing how we work, learn, and live, and the decisions being made today could shape our communities for years to come.
That is why I’m asking you to take my AI & Our Future Community Survey. I want to better understand where you stand, what opportunities you see, what concerns you have, and how you feel about issues like jobs, education, privacy, and the growth of data centers.
Your participation gives me a clearer picture of what our community actually thinks about AI, not what others assume you think.
Please take a few minutes to share your perspective. Every response helps me better understand the questions, priorities, and concerns people want represented in this conversation.
Take the survey: https://fordforcongress.com/ai-community-survey/
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Your electric bill. The cost of imported goods. The safeguards behind the technology you use. Today’s Washington Watch follows three federal developments that deserve public attention.
The Ratepayer Protection Act stalled in the Senate after a procedural vote fell short of the votes needed to advance. The House-passed bill would require utility regulators to consider making large power users cover certain infrastructure costs, but would not require them to adopt those protections. That distinction matters: families need enforceable safeguards against paying for data center expansion through their utility bills.
In court, businesses and 25 Democratic-led states are challenging the Trump administration’s tariffs on goods from 60 trading partners. They argue the administration exceeded its authority; the administration defends its legal basis. Today’s hearing does not remove those tariffs. A written ruling is expected later.
Meanwhile, Reuters reports that the Federal Trade Commission is opening an investigation into AI developers, including OpenAI and Anthropic, over risks to consumers. The agency plans to seek records and executive testimony. An investigation is not a determination of wrongdoing, but companies should answer serious questions about the safety of their products.
I believe Washington owes the public clear rules, meaningful consumer protections, and accountability when government or corporate decisions put families at risk.
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CHICAGO EARLY VOTING BEGINS OCTOBER 1
Chicago voters, you do not have to wait until Election Day to cast your ballot.
Early Voting for the November 3 General Election begins Thursday, October 1, at two downtown Vote Centers:
Chicago Early Voting Supersite
137 S. State St.
Chicago Board of Elections
69 W. Washington St., 6th Floor
From October 1 through October 18, the downtown locations are scheduled to be open:
Monday through Friday: 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Saturday: 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Sunday: 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Beginning Monday, October 19, Early Voting expands to locations throughout all 50 Chicago wards.
One of the biggest advantages of Early Voting is flexibility. Chicago voters may use any Chicago Early Voting location, regardless of where they live in the city. You can choose the location and day that work for you rather than relying on one Election Day polling place. Chicago Early Voting locations also provide voter-registration services, including new registrations and address or name updates, subject to identification requirements.
Voting early can also help you avoid Election Day lines, work conflicts, transportation problems, bad weather or an unexpected emergency on November 3.
Make your plan before you go. Check the Chicago Board of Elections for the latest locations and hours and confirm your voter information.
Chicago Board of Elections Early Voting information
https://chicagoelections.gov/voting/early-votingvote-centers
Election Day: Tuesday, November 3, 2026
Polls are open 6:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
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2026 GENERAL ELECTION: KNOW YOUR EARLY VOTING DATES
Early Voting gives Chicago and suburban Cook County voters additional opportunities to cast their ballots before Election Day. Here are the key dates in our voter guide:
CHICAGO
October 1: Downtown Early Voting begins
October 19: Early Voting expands to all 50 ward locations
November 2: Last day of Early Voting
Downtown locations shown in the guide:
Chicago Early Voting Supersite, 137 S. State St.
Chicago Board of Elections, 69 W. Washington St., 6th Floor
SUBURBAN COOK COUNTY
October 7: Limited Early Voting begins at designated Cook County voting centers
October 19: Countywide Early Voting begins at 56 suburban locations
November 2: Last day of Early Voting
ELECTION DAY
Tuesday, November 3
Polls open 6:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
For locations, hours, eligibility information, and any schedule updates, check directly with your election authority before you go:
Chicago voters: Chicago Board of Elections
https://chicagoelections.gov/voting/early-votingvote-centers
Suburban Cook County voters: Cook County Clerk Elections
https://www.cookcountyclerkil.gov/.../ways.../early-voting
Know the dates. Know your location. Know your voting options.
REGISTER TO VOTE:
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Three upcoming hiring events are connecting Chicago-area job seekers with employers, career opportunities, training and employment resources.
Thursday, October 1 | 10 AM–2 PM
Project H.O.O.D. Fall Hiring Event
6620 S. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive
Meet with employers hiring across transportation, healthcare, public safety, government, retail, education, construction and more.
SIGN UP
Wednesday, October 7 | 11 AM–2 PM
Chicagoland Area Virtual Job Fair
Connect online with employers representing a wide range of industries and career paths.
LEARN MORE
Thursday, October 8 | 10 AM–2 PM
Association House Career & Resource Fair
Humboldt Park Vocational Education Center
1645 N. California Ave.
RESERVE A SPOT
Explore career opportunities in construction, clean energy, and related industries, along with training and support resources.
Scan the QR codes on the graphic for event details and registration.
Please share these opportunities with family, friends and neighbors who are looking for work or considering their next career move.
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PACE is hiring bus operators, with hire-on-the-spot recruitment events every Thursday in Arlington Heights and Markham.
Job seekers can apply, interview and take Pace’s Customer Service Assessment at the event. Qualified candidates may be hired on the spot and begin the employment process right away. Pace also offers free Class B CDL permit courses and paid training.
Events are held at Pace Headquarters in Arlington Heights and the Pace Central Training & Customer Relations Facility in Markham, with morning and afternoon sessions available.
For requirements, what to bring and complete event details, visit the official Pace recruitment page:
Pace Employee Recruitment Events
Please share this opportunity with someone who may be looking for work.
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JOB FAIR ALERT
Chicago Public Schools is hosting a job fair for Regular Custodians and Roving Custodians on October 20. Candidates are encouraged to have the application completed prior to attending the fair, and you can complete an on-site interview once you arrive!
Apply now at cps.edu/careers
Info/Source: SEIU Local 1
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Another reason to vote.
The average 30-year mortgage rate is back above 7%, at 7.03%, up from 6.30% one year ago. For families trying to buy a home, that means another affordability barrier at a time when the cost of everyday life is already stretching household budgets.
We also need to understand what is putting pressure on this economy. Federal Reserve reports show businesses facing higher costs from tariffs, energy, transportation and raw materials. The Fed has specifically documented higher fuel and freight costs connected to the conflict in the Middle East, while businesses across multiple regions continue to report tariff-related cost increases.
But there is a larger question about priorities.
While families are worried about rent, mortgages, groceries, utilities and getting to work, this administration is also choosing to spend enormous political attention on conflicts of its own making here at home: fighting with news organizations over White House access, defending restrictions that CNN, MS NOW and Politico are challenging on First Amendment grounds, battling over the Kennedy Center, and pursuing major changes to Washington's monuments and public spaces. Those controversies are real, but they are separate from the economic causes of today's mortgage rates.
And abroad, Americans are living with the economic consequences of continuing conflict in the Middle East, while wars involving Israel and Ukraine continue to demand Washington's attention.
My priority is affordability.
I want Washington focused on whether families can afford a home, pay their bills, put food on the table, and build some financial security.
That is the conversation Americans deserve to have as we approach November.
Make sure your voice is heard. Check your registration and register to vote. https://ova.elections.il.gov/
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New research from the Greater Chicago Food Depository and NORC shows that food insecurity is affecting working Chicagoans, too. 56% of adults living in food-insecure Chicago households are employed, yet many still struggle to afford food alongside housing, health care, and other essentials.
The same research estimates that 36% of Chicago households are food insecure and points to rising living costs and a shrinking federal safety net as pressures on families.
Federal SNAP changes are also taking effect. Beginning October 1, the federal share of SNAP administrative costs drops from 50% to 25%, shifting an estimated $80 million in additional annual costs to Illinois.
These numbers show why affordability is about more than employment. It is also about whether a paycheck can cover food, housing, utilities, health care, and other basic needs at the same time.
https://www.chicagosfoodbank.org/2026-hunger-in-chicago.../
In Congress, I will work to protect access to SNAP and federal nutrition assistance while pursuing policies to improve access to affordable food, health care, and affordable housing
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Who should set the rules?
President Trump met with technology executives as his administration considers a federal AI oversight committee while emphasizing greater responsibility by technology companies themselves. The executives also signed what Trump described as a “morally binding” agreement. But key questions remain about what those commitments require, how they would be enforced, and what happens when companies fail to comply.
Voluntary commitments are not the same as enforceable federal protections.
House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries has called for Congress to act on AI and establish guardrails to protect Americans’ health, safety and well-being. Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer has also called for federal guardrails and greater congressional oversight as AI develops.
The debate extends beyond AI safety. Who pays for the infrastructure behind the data-center boom?
Data centers require substantial electricity and grid infrastructure. As development accelerates, Congress is confronting questions about who pays for those investments, whether those costs can be passed along to ordinary utility customers, and what protections should be required for communities hosting these facilities.
The question in Washington is no longer whether this technology will grow. It is what rules should accompany that growth, who should enforce them, and how consumers and communities will be protected.
Those questions remain unsettled.
“Congress has a responsibility to determine what safeguards should govern AI, how those rules will be enforced, and how communities and consumers will be protected as data centers expand. Voluntary commitments from technology companies cannot substitute for Congress doing its job.”
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I always want to listen, especially to the men and women who have served our country.
Today I spoke with Greg, a veteran and former Navy pilot, about what life is really like for sailors at sea and the level of stress and readiness that comes with deployment.
He spoke from experience, including his responsibility as an officer and what it means for military leadership to take the well-being of those serving under them seriously.
Supporting our troops has to include listening to them. Their experiences matter, their well-being matters, and the people we ask to serve our country deserve leadership that takes that responsibility seriously.
Thank you, Greg, for your service and for sharing your perspective with me.
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WHAT DO YOUNG PEOPLE THINK?
Jeremy didn’t need a lot of words to make his point about AI.
“It makes work a lot easier.”
But then came the other side of it: “It’s taking jobs.”
That tension is worth listening to. Young people entering the workforce are watching AI change how work gets done while also asking what those changes could mean for the jobs they are preparing for.
So I’m continuing to ask the question directly: What do young people think?
Jeremy has his perspective. I want to hear yours, too.
| | Paid for by La Shawn K. Ford for Congress | | | | |
