John Elleson

John Elleson is the Republican nominee for Illinois' 9th District and a pastor who also ran for the seat in 2018, losing to Rep. Jan Schakowsky.[1][3] He won the March 2026 Republican primary and describes himself as a compassionate conservative; his Ballotpedia survey cites addiction, homelessness, mental health, healthcare and job creation as priorities.[1][2][3]

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.[3][4] 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.[4] 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).[5] 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.[3][4][6]

Elleson was the Republican nominee for the 9th District in 2018 and lost to Jan Schakowsky, 73.5% to 26.5%.[3] 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.[3] He describes himself as having decades of service in the community and a proven track record of integrity and results.[2]

Researched from the cited sources on 2026-10-21.