FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Friday, October 31, 2025

Media Contact

Ivonne Rodriguez, ivonne@anabelforcongress.com

Chicago, IL — Starting tomorrow, November 1, nearly two million people across Illinois will lose access to SNAP — including nearly a quarter of Chicagoans living in the 7th District. In response, Anabel Mendoza, a lifelong Chicagoan and the youngest candidate running for Illinois’ 7th Congressional District, released the following statement: 

 “Let’s be clear: access to food shouldn’t be controversial. It’s a basic human right. Cutting SNAP will hit our district hardest, from Austin and North Lawndale to Garfield Park and Englewood. These are neighborhoods where families already stretch every dollar, where corner stores and small grocers are lifelines amidst man-made food deserts, and where many working parents are forced to skip meals so their kids don’t have to. I grew up watching my parents sacrifice eating lunch or dinner just so my siblings and I could eat when $9 was all we had left. At a time when prices are skyrocketing and people are working two, sometimes three jobs, to keep up, stealing  food off people’s tables is both cruel and shortsighted.

“Republicans in Congress have held SNAP hostage, pushing reckless cuts and blocking cost-of-living adjustments that would help millions of families put food on the table. Their political games aren’t just hurting Chicagoans; it's hurting children already facing food insecurity and Americans in Republican-led states who rely on SNAP the most. Everyone deserves the dignity of being able to afford fresh, healthy food. If elected, I will work with leaders at every level to make sure no family in our city, our district, and our country, goes hungry.”

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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