Who is the front runner in 7th CD race? Hard to say. 

As the primary campaign to replace Rep. Danny K. Davis enters its final stretch, there remains no obvious front runner.  

The election will be held March 17, with mail in ballots going out Thursday. The district is overwhelmingly Democratic, so the primary winner is expected to win the general election in November. 

• As of now, former Chicago real estate investor Jason Friedman continues to enjoy a huge lead in fundraising over the others, according to campaign finance reports filed. He has raised just under $1.8 million, nearly three times that of any other candidate. This includes just over $300,000 in 4^th quarter donations.  Friedman spent $345,924, leaving him with just over $1 million.  
  
• ER physician Thomas Fisher had a strong 4th quarter, with $242,582 in net receipts, more than any other candidate besides Friedman. That pushed his total take to over $618,000. He spent $117,060, leaving him $455,239 on hand, also more than all but Friedman. 
  
• Melissa Conyears-Ervin, who had $223,775 on hand in her congressional campaign fund as of Sept. 30, raised $108,040 and spent $114,873, leaving her with $216,934. However, she appears to be touting her run for Democratic State central committeewoman, rather than Congress.  
  
• State Rep. LaShawn Ford’s quarterly cash haul increased slightly in the 4th quarter, to $140,849. After spending $65,415, he had $307,547 on hand at year’s end.  
  
• Forest Park Mayor Rory Hoskins, who started the quarter with $55,655, raised $57,976. With $103,026 in expenditures, he had $11,604 remaining as of Dec. 31. He had a fundraiser in a River Forest home on Jan. 31.  
  
• Union official Anthony Driver raised $70,932 last quarter and had $73,555 remaining after spending $72,441.   
  
• Oak Park resident Reed Showalter raised $125,359, plus a $25,000 loan. He spent $114,750 and had $134,680 as of Dec. 31. Showalter announced his 4th quarter fundraising in an email. 
  
• Richard Boykin took in $198,826 last quarter which included $192,351which he personally donated to the campaign. He spent $143,140, leaving him with $105.471 at year’s end. He’s raised $328,111 in total.  

Showalter took the opportunity to blast two of the front runners. “Jason Friedman will answer to AIPAC (the America Israel Public Affairs Committee),” he wrote.  

Showalter also alleged that Conyers-Ervin “will bring back crypto.” Vowing to “fight for the people of the 7th District, Showalter said his beliefs “are not for sale.”  

The issue of AIPAC-funded congressional candidates has been a flash point in several Illinois congressional contests. Friedman was pointedly called out by a questioner at a recent Democratic Party of Oak Park presentation in January and heckled loudly by another audience member regarding AIPAC.  

Several hopefuls received notable endorsements in recent weeks. Driver was endorsed by the Mid-America Regional Council of Carpenters and by Rep. Delia Ramirez (D3), giving him more than two dozen endorsements. 

Fisher has been endorsed by Rep. Lauren Underwood, the Chicago Tribune and eight medical organizations, including the American College of Physicians. 

Friedman has three endorsements, including Chicago Alderman Brian Hopkins, former Oak Park trustee Ravi Parakkat and Emphraim Lee, of the 2nd Chicago Police District Council.  

 Hoskins has 17 endorsements from officials throughout Proviso township and elsewhere, including the mayors of Melrose Park, River Forest, Westchester, Hillside and North Riverside.   

Ford was recently endorsed by former Chicago Alderman Walter Burnett Jr, and state Rep. Jawaharial Williams. They join 33 Illinois House and Senate members endorsing Ford, along with retiring incumbent Rep. Davis, Jesse White and several area mayors.  

On Sunday, Feb. 1, Ford met voters at a meet ’n’ greet in Broadview sponsored by State Senate Majority Leader Kimberly Lightford (D-Maywood), and “co-hosted” by Illinois House Speaker Chris Welch and Davis. 

Boykin was endorsed by the Italian American Police Association, and on Jan 27, by Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas.  

Conyers-Ervin was endorsed by Firefighters Local 2 and Elect Democratic Women. Meanwhile, her latest ad, titled “No Fear,” triggered controversy. She is running both for Congress and a position on the Democratic state central committee, both from the 7th Congressional District, and took advantage of a loophole in federal campaign finance law that allows her to legally use cash from her state campaign fund for the commercial. 

The ad begins with her saying, “Am I afraid to stand up to Donald Trump?” She answers that she has “no fear, only fight,” and says she will “Fight Trump and MAGA” and “Protect Medicare, Medicaid and SNAP from Trump’s Cuts.” A graphic toward the end states that the ad is “paid for by Melissa for Chicago,” her state registered fund for her previous run for Chicago City Treasurer.  

The DSCC is involved solely in party administrative and policy making functions, including establishing party rules, budgeting, voter turnout efforts and candidate recruitment, not with any government functions.   

The Conyears-Ervin campaign seemed to double down on her role as a candidate for the DSCC, rather than Congress, in an email sent out Monday morning announcing she’d raised another $123,700 in January. The release was headlined “Treasurer Melissa Conyears-Ervin in Strong Position in the 7th Congressional District State Central Committee Race.”  

A second email released 30 minutes later touted her “strong position in the 7th Congressional district race…” The $123,700 to Conyears-Ervin’s Democratic Committeeman fund came mainly from $72,800 from the Chicago Teachers Union PAC.  

Two more forums 

Voters will have two other opportunities to hear from most of the Democratic field. On Feb. 19, the Business Leadership Council will host a Congressional forum at Malcolm X College from 5:30 to 7:30.  The coalition of nonprofit, business, and chamber of commerce partners include the Chicago Urban League, Chatham Business Association, South Shore Chamber, Illinois State Black Chamber of Commerce and Austin African American Business Networking Association. 

On Feb. 20, nine candidates are scheduled to participate in a Congressional Town Hall Forum on the UIC campus sponsored by the school’s College Democrats. Candidates expected to participate are Boykin, Collins, Driver, Ehrlich, Fisher, Ford, Hoskins, Mendoza and Showalter.