After years of working on progressive campaigns, I have learned not to make endorsements lightly. I worked on Anthony Clark’s campaign in 2018, volunteered for Kina Collins’ campaigns in 2020 and 2022, and supported her again in 2024. Those experiences have shaped how carefully I choose where to place my trust and my vote. That is why I am supporting Anabel Mendoza for Congress.
Anabel stands out for pairing a deeply progressive vision with a campaign that feels grounded and capable. She listens carefully and speaks about policy in a way that connects to people’s lived experiences, from the heart, not ego.
There is no other candidate in this race who brings the unique combination Anabel does. As an immigrant rights organizer, she is guided by justice and understands that immigration is deeply connected to every issue that matters in this district — from housing and labor to education and beyond.
As the youngest candidate in the race, she approaches the deeply horrifying moment we’re in — where our democracy hangs by a thread — with urgency. We cannot afford to lose any longer. Having grown up in Chicago in a working-class Latino family, she brings a personal understanding that livable wages and economic opportunity are about livelihood.
I have also been struck by the strength and intentionality of her campaign team. With experienced leadership grounded in the district, outreach across the diverse communities that call the 7th District home, from Englewood to Oak Park, and strong coordination between field and data teams, her campaign reflects a level of preparation that candidates I have supported in the past lack.
Finally, Anabel does not accept money from corporate or special-interest PACs, nor is she beholden to a single large organization such as a union. While I strongly support labor, I have concerns when a candidate is overly reliant on one union and becomes captured by that base of support, or changes positions simply to secure endorsements while failing to speak clearly about a genocide unfolding in Gaza. To me, Anabel’s true progressive background and independence represent the next chapter for the 7th District.
Scott Sakiyama
Oak Park
