John Elleson

Elleson was born in Monmouth, Illinois, and graduated from Christian Life College; BallotReady lists a bachelor's degree in theology from the college in 1985.[2][6] He works as a pastor, and BallotReady lists him as pastor of Lakewood Chapel since 1985 and also lists experience as a donut shop owner and baker.[6] In 2018 he told the Chicago Sun-Times that he pastored a church in Arlington Heights, and his 2018 questionnaire lists a pastoral theology degree from Christian Life College (1985).[7] His Ballotpedia profile and 2018 survey list no prior elected office, and WTTW's 2026 voter guide lists his occupation as minister and says he has never held a government office.[2][6][8]

Elleson was the Republican nominee for the 9th District in 2018 and lost to Jan Schakowsky, 73.5% to 26.5%.[2] He won the March 17, 2026 Republican primary with 48.9% of the vote, ahead of Paul Friedman (33.6%), Rocio Cleveland and Mark Su.[2] He describes himself as having decades of service in the community and a proven track record of integrity and results.[3] He described himself as a compassionate conservative, and his Ballotpedia survey cited addiction, homelessness, mental health, healthcare and job creation as priorities.[1][2][3] He received 23.8% of the vote to Daniel Biss's 76.2%, according to unofficial results reported by NBC News.[4]