Paul Nolley
Democratic candidate for U.S. House in Illinois
$26.6K
NOV 7, 2026
General Election
Voters choose the office holder.
Live Odds — IL-16 House winner?
Current prediction-market probability for the candidate, updated as market prices change.
5%chance to win
$26.6KNOV 7, 2026Candidate Overview
Key details about the candidate’s background, party, office sought and current campaign.
Current roleExecutive director, Project First Rate
PartyDemocratic
Political ideologyModerate Democrat
GenderMale
LocationIllinois
Show moreShow less
BackgroundExecutive director, Project First Rate
EducationIllinois State University
Notable personal detailsPaul Nolley is a Democratic candidate for the U.S. House in Illinois' 16th Congressional District in the 2026 election cycle. He has worked in nonprofit management and advocacy and has served as executive director of Project First Rate since 2020. Nolley attended Illinois State University and has described his campaign as focused on working families, unions, and apprenticeships.
SourcesShowHide
Political Positions
Economy & Taxes
Paul Nolley supports reducing income tax rates for working-class and middle-class people while increasing tax rates on the ultra-rich and large corporations. He also favors closing loopholes used by wealthy taxpayers and wants a simpler, fairer, more progressive tax code that reduces inequality.
Healthcare
Paul Nolley supports moving to a Medicare for All system to lower healthcare costs and expand access. He also says Medicare should negotiate pharmaceutical prices and that removing industry middlemen would improve payment fairness and flexibility for providers and businesses.
Show moreShow less
Immigration & Border
Paul Nolley says the immigration system needs a full overhaul, with lawful and fair pathways to legal status, strict background checks, fees or taxes, and enough public staff to make the system work. He rejects open borders and opposes masked federal agents terrorizing immigrant communities, while also saying employers should be held accountable and visa programs should protect workers from abuse.
Climate & Energy
Paul Nolley’s campaign includes protecting Illinois air, water, land, and wildlife, and he says he wants to bring the industrial base and energy sector into the 21st century. The available public material emphasizes jobs, manufacturing, and working-class priorities more than a detailed climate policy agenda.
Latest News
Paul Nolley is in the news as a candidate in the broader 2026 House-election and redistricting fight, where a recent Supreme Court ruling has intensified battles over congressional maps in Illinois and other states. He is also part of a group of Democratic candidates backing an anti-corruption pledge that calls for rejecting corporate PAC money, banning stock trading by officeholders, and curbing dark money. Recent coverage does not show a specific new action by Nolley himself, but places him in the middle of these campaign issues.
Redistricting war accelerates winner-take-all political combat
‘We Want to Move on From Losing’: Pritzker on Antisemitism, Trump and 2028
Democrats Embrace Anti-Corruption Messaging En Masse
Redistricting war accelerates winner-take-all political combat that’s straining American democracy
Campaign Fundraising
Latest report: Cycle 2026Campaign finance totals from the latest available reporting period.
2026
LatestCycle 2026
Source: FEC
New updates coming soon
We're monitoring and will update when new data impacts the race.
- Polls
- Endorsements