Nick Uniejewski, a 29-year-old community organizer and policy analyst, is running for Illinois State Senate with a focus on housing, transit and LGBTQ+ health care—but to get there, the openly gay candidate will have to unseat incumbent Sen. Sara Feigenholtz, a veteran lawmaker with a long record of LGBTQ+ allyship.
While Feigenholtz has been seen as a strong backer of the LGBTQ+ community for decades, Uniejewski told Windy City Times he thinks it’s time for new leadership that reflects the Sixth District’s current needs and lived experiences.
“Her ideas are rooted in the past,” Uniejewski said. “I want to move forward with protecting our trans folks, protecting younger folks that need help and fighting insurance companies, too.”
Michael Crowley, a campaign spokesperson, said in a statement Feigenholtz’s track record is “undeniable.”
“Sara Feigenholtz is a lifelong champion for the residents of her district and the LGBTQ+ community,” Crowley stated. “It’s easy to talk about getting things done, but Sara’s track record of getting things done is undeniable.”
Crowley highlighted Feigenholtz’s support for the LGBTQ+ community, which has included securing millions in funding for HIV/AIDS treatments and medications, strengthening Illinois’ Human Rights Act and hate crime laws, expanding adoption protections for same-sex couples and updating property laws with gender-inclusive language.
“Since the onset of Trump, Sara has worked to protect Illinoisans from his harmful and chaotic policies,” Crowley said. “From leading the fight to enshrine abortion rights in our state, to securing millions in new funding to safeguard critical providers like Howard Brown Health and Center on Halsted, Sara has been an unwavering fighter for our community.”
A case for change: Housing, transit and state-level action
Uniejewski said he decided to run for office after President Donald Trump’s 2024 win and witnessing what he described as a lack of response from his state senator.
“Every fight for the next four years is going to be held at the state and local level, but where are our people?” Uniejewski said. “My senator was nowhere to be found, and she had no plan.”
Feigenholtz, who was appointed to the Senate in 2020 after more than two decades in the Illinois House, has long-standing ties in Springfield. But Uniejewski criticized what he sees as her diminished effectiveness and lack of visibility in the community.
“She’s not a fighter. She’s not passing legislation,” Uniejewski said, claiming that Sen. Mike Simmons “has passed a higher volume of bills in four years than she has in 30.”
Uniejewski’s campaign has centered around housing affordability, calling it “the main reason I’m running.”
Uniejewski said he supports legislation to provide tax credits for affordable housing developers, legalize coach houses and four-flats through the Middle Housing Act and implement predictable rent increases.
“People want to buy a home, but they can’t because middle housing doesn’t exist,” Uniejewski said. “Or you’re a renter and you’re getting priced out of the neighborhoods you love.”
Uniejewski also wants to address gaps in public transit and modernize outdated infrastructure.
“We cannot just keep throwing money at a system designed 40 years ago,” Uniejewski said. “This is people’s every day. It’s not just going to see your friends out in Old Town—it’s getting to work, school, doctor’s appointments and more.”
LGBTQ+ representation—and a difference in approach
Uniejewski would be only the second openly gay member of the Illinois State Senate—following Simmons, who was appointed in 2021. He said that lived experience shapes his vision for how the state can better protect LGBTQ+ communities.
“Yes, I would represent Northalsted. But it’s not just about making history. It’s about breaking barriers,” Uniejewski said. “We can all wave the Pride flag, we can all go to the Equality Illinois Gala. But that’s not enough. What do you do in the other 364 days of the year?”
Uniejewski supports ending prior authorization requirements for HIV prevention medications like PrEP and DoxyPEP, expanding insurance coverage for gender-affirming care and increasing support for trans and queer youth, he said.
“These are fights that are very familiar for so many other people I know,” Uniejewski said. “Years ago, the government literally told people like us that we deserve to die. And I fear that we’re heading back there.”
Feigenholtz has a long record working on LGBTQ+ rights. She was an early supporter of marriage equality and civil unions, and she helped lead efforts to repeal Illinois’ HIV criminalization law. In 2023, she was honored by the LGBTQ+ Bar Association for her advocacy.
Feigenholtz has also partnered with Simmons and Sen. Robert Peters on a resolution denouncing anti-trans legislation nationwide and recently sponsored a bill to incorporate gender-inclusive language in Illinois real estate law. Her voting record reflects consistent support for LGBTQ+ protections across employment, health care and family rights.
Uniejewski acknowledged her legacy, but said the state needs fresh ideas around LGBTQ+ protections.
“She has done some good work, and I thank her for her service,” Uniejewski said. “But her ideas are rooted in the past. We need the state to fight so much harder—and listen to people too.”
From grassroots organizing to building a new coalition
Uniejewski’s political identity has taken shape through more than 100 community “salons” he’s hosted over the last year and a half. These are small, informal gatherings where neighbors discuss pressing policy issues like housing, health care, transit and media.
What started as conversations among friends has evolved into a recurring civic forum, now hosted by others throughout the district, Uniejewski said.
Those conversations, along with his years of work as a statewide organizer for NARAL—now known as Reproductive Freedom for All—and a policy analyst for Chicago’s Department of Family and Support Services, have shaped the foundation of Uniejewski’s campaign, he said.
Uniejewski grew up in Orland Park and commuted to Loyola University Chicago, often spending more than two hours on Metra and the Red Line each way. After completing graduate school at DePaul, he moved into the city and began organizing in earnest after Trump’s 2016 election.
“I wanted to be a writer. I wanted to be a celebrity ghostwriter of all things—write other people’s books and articles,” he said. “But by the time [Trump] got elected, I realized, okay, I should probably do a little bit more.”
Uniejewski volunteered for Marie Newman’s congressional campaign and helped pass the 2019 Reproductive Health Act as NARAL’s statewide organizer. In his city policy role, Uniejewski has focused on structural reforms and strengthening services for vulnerable populations.
Now, Uniejewski is using his campaign to reach people who have felt left out of the political process, he said.
“This district has not had a contested primary since 1972,” he said. “It’s a lot of younger people. It’s people that are new to the process. It’s people who don’t feel like their issues are being represented and they want that fighter.”
Uniejewski said support has come from grassroots advocates, neighbors and some elected officials—though some are backing him privately at the moment, he said.
“It’s not often that people see someone like them who runs for office,” Uniejewski said. “The best thing ever for me is when young queer people come up to me and they’re like, ‘I’ve never been involved in campaigns before, and I can’t wait to jump in.’”