Rep. Nick Smith Won't Seek Re-Election
Rep. Nick Smith (D-Chicago) won’t seek re-election.
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Rep. Nick Smith (D-Chicago), a House Democrat popular with his Democratic colleagues, announced Monday he won’t seek re-election in 2026.
“After much thought and careful consideration, I’ve decided not to seek reelection,” Smith wrote on Twitter Monday. “Serving as a member of the Illinois General Assembly in the House of Representatives has been an honor of a lifetime.”
Smith represents a long, winding gerrymandered district stretching from 75th and the Dan Ryan on Chicago’s south side, along the Indiana border, to rural areas outside of Kankakee.
Smith, a former 9th Ward Streets and Sanitation Superintendent, was appointed to the House in 2018 after then-Rep. Elgie Sims was elevated to the Senate.
The district is safely Democratic. Kamala Harris won it by around 55 points last year.
