Republican congressional candidate Christian Maxwell is taking on one of the most difficult political challenges in Illinois: trying to win a seat in the heavily Democratic 1st Congressional District.
Appearing on Chicago’s Morning Answer with host John Anthony, who was filling in for Dan Proft, Maxwell outlined her campaign’s focus on public safety, education, parental rights, affordability and economic opportunity. She is challenging Democratic incumbent Jonathan Jackson and argues that an aggressive grassroots campaign could make the traditionally Democratic district competitive.
Maxwell said she has received assistance from Republican organizations at the county level, particularly with events and grassroots coordination, but criticized the Illinois Republican Party for what she described as a lack of meaningful support for candidates. She encouraged voters who want to see Republicans gain ground in Illinois to contribute directly to individual campaigns, arguing that money should be directed toward voter outreach, development and candidate support.
For Maxwell, the decision to run for Congress was driven in part by her experiences as an Illinois native and a mother. Born and raised in East St. Louis, she moved to Chicago for college in 2008. She is a mother of four, homeschools her children and has been married for 11 years. Her husband is now a police officer.
Maxwell also spent four years living in Texas, an experience she said significantly changed the way she viewed government and politics. She contrasted her experience there with what she sees as the uncertainty created by changing laws and ordinances in Illinois and Chicago.
That experience eventually convinced her that simply watching from the sidelines was no longer an option. After looking for someone else to run in her district and not seeing a candidate she believed could address the problems she was concerned about, Maxwell said she eventually decided to enter the race herself.
She launched her campaign in April 2025 and won the Republican primary with 65% of the vote. With roughly 60 days remaining in the general election campaign, Maxwell said she believes she has built a significant grassroots and marketing presence and has a realistic opportunity to defeat Jackson.
A major part of that strategy is her emphasis on Will County, which Maxwell believes has been overlooked by Republicans. She described the county as deeply conservative and argued that Republican voters there have not been fully activated in recent election cycles.
Maxwell pointed to the number of votes received by her opponent in the previous election as evidence that the target needed to win is not necessarily out of reach. She estimated that she needs roughly 115,000 votes and noted that Jackson received about 108,000 votes in the last election.
Public safety has also become a central issue for Maxwell, particularly after she said she was caught in the middle of a large teen takeover while shopping with her four children. She connected those incidents to what she believes were the long-term consequences of pandemic-era school closures, arguing that children need structure and that prolonged disruptions left some young people without the stability they needed.
Maxwell said the response to youth crime cannot simply be punitive. She argued that communities need to find ways to reconnect young people with education, authority, responsibility and productive roles in society.
Gun violence was another major topic during the interview. Discussing a mass shooting in the Washington Park area, which falls within the congressional district, Maxwell argued that additional gun restrictions are not the answer. Instead, she said Illinois should focus more heavily on prosecuting criminal offenses and addressing criminal behavior.
She also advocated for responsible gun ownership and greater participation in concealed-carry programs, arguing that law-abiding citizens should have the ability to protect themselves.
Education is another key component of Maxwell’s campaign. As a homeschooling mother, she said she has a personal connection to the concerns many parents have about their children’s education. She described school choice and parental involvement as particularly important issues in the Chicago portion of the district.
Maxwell argued that parents should have greater visibility into school curriculum, library materials and their children’s academic progress. She cited several pieces of legislation that she said were supported by Republicans but opposed by Democrats, including measures involving parental access to curriculum information and third-grade literacy benchmarks.
For Maxwell, the broader issue is whether parents are treated as partners in their children’s education. She said that question has helped her connect with voters who may not traditionally support Republican candidates.
That outreach is particularly important given the demographics and political history of the 1st Congressional District. Maxwell acknowledged that she is asking many voters in heavily Democratic and predominantly Black communities to reconsider a political allegiance they may have held for decades.
Her answer centers on what she describes as a contrast between the parties on parental rights and education. Maxwell said she believes voters should look beyond party labels and examine how elected officials have voted on issues affecting families.
Maxwell’s campaign is also attempting to build support through an extensive grassroots presence. She pointed to appearances at community events, including the Bud Billiken Parade, as part of an effort to meet voters directly rather than rely exclusively on traditional campaign advertising.
She said Jackson has not made the same level of public campaign effort visible to voters, arguing that the lack of advertisements, yard signs and other campaign activity could create an opening for a challenger with a strong grassroots operation.
Whether that strategy can overcome the district’s longstanding Democratic lean remains the central question of Maxwell’s campaign. But she believes the combination of Republican strength in Will County, dissatisfaction over public safety and education, and her own extensive voter outreach gives her a chance to make the race competitive.
Maxwell is urging supporters to visit her campaign website, unitecd1.com, to get involved in upcoming days of action and other campaign activities. She said her broader goal is to unite a district that she believes has the potential to make political history again.
For now, Maxwell is betting that a heavily Democratic congressional district is not necessarily an impossible one for a Republican to win—and that a relentless grassroots campaign can close the gap.