Dupage Policy Journal

Democratic State Rep. Delia Ramirez is running against Republican Justin Burau for the open seat in Illinois' 3rd Congressional District. Ramirez signed a letter calling for the defunding of the Chicago Police Department and is endorsed by groups who are also advocates for defunding the police in a city where crime rates are already high and public safety is at risk.

According to a July 18, 2020 tweet from United Working Families, who endorses Ramirez, the Democrat candidate signed a letter calling for the defunding of the Chicago Police Department during her time as a state representative in 2020.

Ramirez is not endorsed by any law enforcement officers, according to her campaign website.

Ramirez's campaign website sports her endorsement from "The Peoples Lobby," a group advocating, as displayed on its website, for “defunding Cook County Jail,” the Chicago Sun Times reports. 

The Chicago Sun Times also reports that the Working Families Party national political action committee, another group that identifies with the “defund the police” slogan and movement, spent $179,500 on digital ads to benefit Ramirez in April, according to FEC records. The group's website says they support shifting “resources away from policing, jails and detention centers, endless wars and agencies that separate families.”

"Why should we expect @Delia4Congress to be any different? This is the group she talks so fondly of and said she will join while calling to defund the police like the squad. Vote for Justin Burau who believes in law enforcement and making our communities safer," Burau tweeted in response to a tweet from Ilhan Omar who said she "would never seek or accept the endorsement of police officials."

Illinois' 3rd Congressional District election will take place on Nov. 8, according to Ballotpedia. 

At the end of August, Ramirez refused her opponent, Burau's request for a series of debates between the two. According to a press release from Burau's office, the people of the 3rd District want to know a couple things about Ramirez, including why she wants to defund the Chicago Police Department.

According to a 2022 report from SafeWise.com, Illinois saw higher violent crime rates last year at 4.3 incidents per 1,000, compared to 4.0 nationwide. This is the second consecutive year violent crime rates in the state have risen and the third year Illinois has reported higher rates than both the East North Central region (3.9) and the U.S. overall.