FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Monday, October 27, 2025

Media Contact

Ivonne Rodriguez, ivonne@anabelforcongress.com

The youngest candidate in the race powers ahead, building momentum, meeting voters, and bringing new energy across IL-07.

Springfield, IL — In a show of people power stretching from Englewood to Bellwood, from Chinatown to Broadview, Anabel Mendoza, a lifelong Chicagoan and the youngest candidate running for Illinois’ 7th Congressional District, announced today that her campaign has surpassed the number of petition signatures required to qualify for the Democratic primary ballot, officially submitting them to election officials early this morning.

Over the past several months, Mendoza and her team visited communities across the district — knocking on doors, chatting with neighbors outside grocery stores, and sparking conversations with constituents block by block. Her campaign didn’t rely on consultants or cold data; it relied on connection, community, and a shared vision for change. 

“As the youngest candidate running in this district, I wanted this campaign to be rooted in compassion and listening,” said Anabel Mendoza. “Every single petition wasn’t just a signature — it was a conversation. It was someone sharing their hopes for stronger schools, safer streets, and a government that actually listens to them. Not only did we meet the number of petition signatures required, we surpassed it and proved that when you take the time to meet people where they are, they show up for you in return.”

At 27 years old, Mendoza represents a new generation stepping up to say that politics in Chicago — and across the country — must look like the people it serves. Her campaign is focused on creating an economy that works for working families, not just corporations, and bringing transformational investments to Chicago’s South and West Sides. Mendoza’s priorities include raising wages and strengthening unions, investing in affordable housing and education, protecting immigrant families, and addressing gun violence by bringing sustained federal funding to real community safety solutions. She has also called for bold action to deliver reparations, close the racial wealth gap, and address the unconscionable life expectancy gap that exists between the 7th District's richest and most disinvested in neighborhoods. 

“This district is the beating heart of Chicago, its workers, its families, its dreamers,” Mendoza continued. “Our communities deserve a representative who will walk alongside us, not above us. Reaching and surpassing this petition goal is just the beginning of proving that we can and will continue to build power from the ground up.”

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Anabel Mendoza is a community organizer, immigrant advocate, and the youngest candidate running for Congress in Illinois’ 7th District. A lifelong Chicagoan and the proud daughter and granddaughter of immigrants, she has dedicated her career to fighting for working families, immigrant rights, and a government that serves people, not corporations. She’s running to bring unity, honesty, and courage to Washington. For more information, visit www.anabelforcongress.com