A few dozen supporters packed into Sidetrack, 3349 N. Halsted St., on June 10 to support Cook County Commissioner Kevin Morrison’s run for Congress.
The event drew a wave of LGBTQ+ leaders, elected officials and allies from across Chicago and its suburbs, as Morrison looks to solidify his standing in a competitive Democratic primary for Illinois’ 8th Congressional District. It was a significant show of force in the early months of Morrison’s campaign that highlighted the stakes of the race and the growing political power of LGBTQ+ people in Illinois.
“June 30 is a critical deadline for my campaign,” Morrison told the crowd. “If we’re going to scare more people out of running for this seat, it’s going to be what numbers we bring in by June 30.”
The second-quarter fundraising deadline will help determine the viability of Morrison’s campaign and shape the field in a race that’s still developing.
It’s been nearly one month since Morrison announced his run for Congress, and he has already secured a broad base of early endorsements from across the region, including Cook County Commissioner Maggie Trevor; State Rep. Nicolle Grasse; state senators Rob Martwick and Adriane Johnson; Hoffman Estates Mayor Bill McLeod; South Barrington Mayor Paula McCombie; DuPage Forest Preserve President Daniel Hebreard; and Elk Grove Township Democratic Committeeman Ted Mason.
Among those who supported Monday’s fundraiser at Sidetrack were Congressman Eric Sorensen, State Rep. Kelly Cassidy, Ald. Bennett Lawson, Ald. Lamont Robinson and retired State Rep. Greg Harris.
Morrison reflected on his journey from growing up in the northwest suburbs, where he was bullied in school for being gay, to now running for federal office.
“I remember growing up there, and it was not that friendly,” Morrison told his crowd of supporters. “I would get called homophobic slurs in the hallways, and my teachers would look the other way.”
Morrison said that a shift in public opinion, particularly around LGBTQ+ rights, was critical in making his own political path possible in the suburbs he once felt excluded from.
“I honestly don’t think I would have been an electable individual in the northwest suburbs of Cook County had it not been for marriage equity,” Morrison said. “It really changed everything.”
Harris, who introduced Morrison at the event, recalled meeting the candidate nearly a decade ago at a trans-rights demonstration Morrison organized before running for Cook County Board.
“You have to be able to build coalitions. You have to get things done,” Harris said. “Kevin has proven that he can beat his opponents. He’s proven he can get into office, and he can work tirelessly hard, and he can actually get stuff done for folks.”
Cassidy also expressed strong confidence in Morrison’s appeal.
“There was zero hesitation for me to support him,” Cassidy told Windy City Times. “He has broad appeal. He can speak to the folks who are small business owners. He can speak to the city people and the suburban people. Everybody loves him, and he meets people where they are.”
Cassidy stressed the importance of sending pro-equality candidates like Morrison to Congress during a time of national LGBTQ+ backlash, especially from the White House.
“At this point, it is all hands on deck,” Cassidy said. “Every seat needs to be held by somebody who’s going to just take it to the wall for us.”
Harris echoed that urgency.
“Having been a gay elected official myself, I know there are times when the door is closed and discussions are had where nobody can really talk about our community like somebody who’s actually from our community,” Harris said. “We may have allies, and those are strong, but when it comes to really articulating the threats that LGBTQ+ people see and the opportunities LGBTQ+ people should have, having one of us there [matters].”
Morrison pointed to his track record of forming “unthinkable coalitions” in county government—including persuading the chair of the Cook County Republican Party to vote for protections on gender identity and reproductive healthcare.
“I’ve been able to reach across party lines. I’ve been able to make friendships with people who treated me with prejudice and threw mud in my face,” Morrison said. “I got the chairman of Cook County’s Republican Party … to not only vote in favor of making gender identity a protected class … but also I got him to vote for the first time for reproductive health care.”
Morrison also addressed the rising attacks on immigrant communities, describing a recent federal operation last week in his district. Federal agents from Homeland Security Investigations detained more than a dozen workers at an Elk Grove Village warehouse, some of whom reportedly had valid work authorization but lacked physical documentation, according to a report from the Daily Herald.
The general manager was allegedly misled by agents, and advocates raised concerns about the lack of judicial warrants used during the operation, Morrison said.
“We have now reached out to every mayor and supervisor in my district and we’re asking them to spread this information to every business so that they know their rights,” Morrison said.
Throughout the evening, speakers emphasized Morrison’s energy, work ethic and track record of tangible accomplishments. Lawson recalled supporting Morrison for Cook County Board when many thought he had no shot.
“I gave him 100 bucks and he knew to ask you for another, and then he knocked on every door, and he went to every forum, and he worked hard and won [the Cook County Board seat],” Lawson said. “He is exactly the type of hard worker that we want to represent our community in DC.”
