PAVE Coalition Hosts Two Landmark Nonpartisan Candidate Forums, Empowering Asian American Voters in IL-07 and IL-09
Muslim Civic Coalition, as a steering committee member of the 19-organization PAVE Coalition, helps deliver critical civic engagement opportunities ahead of the March 17, 2026 primary
Chicago, IL – March 16, 2026 – The Pan-Asian Voter Empowerment (PAVE) Coalition — a partnership of 19 Asian American advocacy and direct-service organizations that includes the Muslim Civic Coalition as a steering committee member — successfully hosted two educational, nonpartisan Congressional candidate forums in February and March 2026. These events gave thousands of Asian American community members direct access to candidates and key issues affecting their neighborhoods.
IL-09 Congressional Candidate Forum
On Saturday, Feb. 7, the PAVE Coalition held its IL-09 forum at the Holiday Inn in Skokie. The event brought together 500 Asian American community members from across the district, which includes Rogers Park, Uptown, Edgewater, West Ridge, Skokie, and surrounding suburbs. With 70,000 Asian Americans residing in IL-09 alone, this was a timely opportunity to engage voters in the first competitive race for the seat in nearly 30 years.
Confirmed candidates included Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss, State Senator Laura Fine, Philip Jerome Andrew, School District 73.5 Board Member Bushra Amiwala, and Kat Abughazaleh. The forum featured live, simultaneous interpretation in multiple Asian languages, ensuring broad accessibility.
IL-07 Congressional Candidate Forum
One month later, on Saturday, March 7, the PAVE Coalition partnered with Chinatown organizations to host the first-ever U.S. Congressional candidate forum in the heart of Chicago’s Chinatown at the historic Pui Tak Center. Nearly 80,000 Asian Americans live in IL-07, and the event drew community members to hear directly from candidates on pressing issues including immigration, healthcare and seniors, affordability, and language access.
The five participating candidates — Anthony Driver Jr., Dr. Thomas Fisher, Jason Friedman, Anabel Mendoza, and Reed Showalter — each introduced their priorities and responded to community testimonies and questions. The program included interpretation in Mandarin Chinese, Cantonese, and Spanish, plus a land acknowledgment and strong emphasis on respectful, nonpartisan dialogue.
Why These Forums Matter
Asian Americans are the fastest-growing racial demographic in Illinois. Yet many continue to face barriers to full civic participation, including language access, immigration concerns, healthcare inequities, and economic pressures. These forums cut through those barriers by meeting community members where they gather, in Skokie and Chinatown, bringing voters to the ballot through direct, trust-based engagement.
The events reflect the PAVE Coalition’s long-standing commitment, founded in 2011, to boost voter turnout and improve lives through policy change. By providing a platform for voters to hear candidates’ positions firsthand, the forums strengthened civic habits and helped more residents, especially low-propensity voters, feel seen, informed, and ready to participate.
The Muslim Civic Coalition is proud to stand as a steering committee member of the PAVE Coalition alongside partners including Asian Americans Advancing Justice | Chicago, Chinese American Service League, Coalition for a Better Chinese American Community, and many others dedicated to collective empowerment.
Get involved: Learn more about upcoming civic initiatives, join volunteer opportunities, or support the work at Muslim Civic Coalition or Muslim Civic Coalition-Activate.