Seven Candidates Visit Conant for Illinois 8th District Forum
Courtesy of Paul DeGeorge Noah Rodriguez, ’26 asks a question to a candidate running for the Illinois 8th Congressional seat during a Candidate forum hosted by the social studies department.
Seven candidates running in the Illinois 8th Congressional District primary election addressed Conant High School seniors Feb. 4 during a candidate forum hosted by the Social Studies Department, offering many first-time voters an opportunity to engage directly with the democratic process.
The forum comes as the district prepares for a competitive election cycle. U.S. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi is not seeking reelection to the House and is instead running for U.S. Senate, creating an open seat in the 8th District. Without an incumbent on the ballot, both the March primary and the November general election are expected to be more competitive.
“Our objective was to create an authentic experience and get students excited about the election process and voter registration,” Social Studies Department Chair Jeffrey Stewart said.
According to Stewart, the department spent several weeks preparing students for the event by reviewing how primary elections work, discussing voter registration requirements, and researching the candidates. To vote in the Illinois primary election in March, eligible voters must be 18 years old by the November general election.
“When you are new to a process like this, it might seem a little intimidating and unreachable,” Stewart said. “Our candidate forum provided students with an opportunity to participate in our democratic process and to see that these candidates are just people trying to make a difference in the best way they know how.”
Stewart said the school began communicating with campaigns months in advance. “From their perspective,” Stewart said, “it is not often that they can get in front of so many potential voters at one time. All of the candidates expressed appreciation for the class of 2026’s participation and our process.”
Conant seniors who attended the forum were enrolled in either Civics or AP Government/Macroeconomics and had researched the candidates beforehand, but some said the experience exceeded expectations..
Jesslyn Johnson, ‘26, enrolled in Civics, said the forum changed her perspective. “Most of the speeches were even better than I had expected, except for a few, but I’m really glad I went,” Johnson said. “Initially I thought the forum was going to be a waste of time and I wasn’t very interested, but now I think I might even want to vote because I understand how much it matters.”
Johnson added that hearing directly from the candidates made the election feel more relevant. “It was different seeing them in person instead of just reading about them online,” she said. “It made the issues feel more real.”
Stewart said he hopes students left feeling empowered. “We hoped that all students felt that they were seen and heard. Democracy requires an educated citizenry.”
By bringing candidates directly into the school setting, the forum aimed to increase civic awareness and encourage informed participation as students approached their first opportunities to vote.
