■ Soul Kitchen Chicago comes to Austin Farmers Market PAGE 6
FREE Vol. 39 No. 31
August 6, 2025 ■ Also serving Garfield Park ■ austinweeklynews.com
@AustinWeeklyNews
@austinweeklynews
@AustinWeeklyChi
Welch/Harmon drama, drama page 13
Davis retires, endorses Ford in 7th District Davis endorses La Shawn Ford
After nearly 30 years, an open seat
State Rep. La Shawn Ford shares what Davis’ support means and his priorities if elected
By JESSICA MORDACQ Staff Reporter
By JESSICA MORDACQ
A crowd of over 100 locals and members of the media gathered at the West Side office of Cong. Danny Davis on July 31 to hear whether he would choose to run for a 16th term. After nearly 30 years representing Illinois’ 7th congressional district, Davis announced he won’t be seeking reelection next year, instead declaring his retirement come Jan. 2027. Davis started the press conference at 2815 W. Fifth Ave. with exuberant thanks to those who have supported him up-close, like his wife of 55 years, and from afar. “I want to thank the people who offer to pump my gas at the service station when I pull in there in the morning to get some gasoline. I want to thank the folks at the supermarket when I go grocery shopping, who ask if I want to take their place in line,” Davis said. “I really want to thank the thousands who believed we could make a difference.” See DAVIS RETIRES on page 12
Staff Reporter
TODD BANNOR
Rep. Ford speaks at a press conference, July 31, after Danny Davis announced his retirement and endorsed Ford to fill his seat.
After weeks of speculation about whether Danny Davis would choose to run again for Illinois’ 7th congressional district — a position he’s held since 1997 — the congressman announced at a July 31 press conference that he’s retiring and endorsing La Shawn Ford in the Democratic primary election in March 2026. Ford currently serves as state representative for Illinois’ 8th district, which covers parts of Chicago’s Austin neighborhood and the western suburbs. Earlier this month, Ford broke the news to Austin Weekly News that he wouldn’t be seeking reelection. The announcement came around the time he filed to run for Illinois’ 7th congressional district. But Ford said, if Davis decided to run again, he’d retire from politics. Ford’s political career will now continue if he wins the primary for the 7th congressional district — which represents parts of Cook County like Oak Park, Forest Park, River Forest and much of Chicago’s West Side — and then the general election in Nov. 2026. And he now has a leg See FORD ENDORSED on page 11
BREAKING
SIGN UP FOR
AL NEWS! AND JUST PLAIN OL’ LOC