Paul Friedman
IL-09 Republican nominee?
$6.2K
MAR 24, 2026Primary Election
Party selects its nominee.
Overview
Current roleSoftware writer
PartyRepublican
Political ideologyConservative Republican
LocationIllinois
BackgroundSoftware writer
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EducationB.A., University of Michigan (1992)
Notable personal detailsPaul Sanford Friedman is a Republican candidate for the U.S. House in Illinois’s 9th Congressional District in the 2026 cycle. He has worked as a software writer and has described himself as an American worker and volunteer. He earned a B.A. from the University of Michigan in 1992 and has reported no prior political experience.
SourcesShowHide
Positions
Economy & Taxes
Supports targeted tax relief for middle‑income households and small businesses, reducing regulatory burdens, and fiscal responsibility by pairing middle‑class tax relief with spending cuts and selective revenue measures. Proposes redirecting corporate tax cuts toward family benefits (a Family Income Supplemental Credit) rather than across‑the‑board tax reductions.
Healthcare
Supports a market-driven approach to lower costs and expand access while opposing increased government control; favors empowering individuals to make their own healthcare decisions within a system aimed at affordable coverage.
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Immigration & Border
Supports expanding legal immigration avenues (more worker visas, streamlined asylum, guest‑worker programs) and creating a path to citizenship while also endorsing border controls and reforming DHS to limit heavy militarized enforcement. Prefers coordination with local authorities for enforcement rather than federal unilateral actions.
Climate & Energy
Supports expanding domestic energy supply and investing in energy and infrastructure to keep costs down, emphasizes ensuring adequate energy supply for growing demands (including data centers/AI), and favors market-driven approaches rather than aggressive emissions mandates. Does not endorse Green New Deal–style targets or explicit large federal clean-energy mandates in his publicly stated positions.
Public Safety & Guns
Paul Friedman emphasizes empowering and arming local law enforcement and says federal officers should coordinate with and not supersede local authorities; he frames public safety as supporting law enforcement while respecting civil rights. He has not published detailed public positions on specific gun regulations (e.g., universal background checks or assault-weapons bans) in the sources found.
News
Paul Friedman is in the news as a Republican candidate in Illinois’ 9th Congressional District, where immigration policy has become a key campaign issue. He has said he favors a path to citizenship, setting him apart from rivals who are pushing stricter border enforcement or amnesty. A separate report on Illinois redistricting mentions possible map changes in the state, but it does not directly focus on Friedman.
Fundraising
Latest report: Cycle 20262026
LatestCycle 2026
Source: FEC
New updates coming soon
We're monitoring and will update when new data impacts the race.
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