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Democrat

Yasmeen Bankole

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Democrat

Yasmeen Bankole

Website

IL-08 Democratic nominee?

$92.7K

MAR 24, 2026

Primary Election

Party selects its nominee.

Overview

Current roleCouncil Member

PartyDemocratic

Political ideologyProgressive Democrat

GenderFemale

LocationIllinois

BackgroundHanover Park trustee

EducationLake Park High School (Illinois)

Notable personal detailsYasmeen Bankole is a Hanover Park, Illinois trustee and Democratic candidate for the U.S. House in Illinois’ 8th Congressional District. She previously worked as a congressional aide for Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi and later served as a Regional Director in the office of U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin. She has also worked in public service roles focused on constituent services and regional outreach in Northern Illinois.

SourcesShow

fec.gov yasmeenbankole.com news.wttw.com en.wikipedia.org shawlocal.com ballotready.org ballotclarity.org voterguide.ballotpedia.org amesfreelibrary.org transparencyusa.org k12irc.org cms5.revize.com siba-agc.org hanoverparkillinois.org juf.org fr.wikipedia.org arxiv.org yahoo.com suburbanchicagoland.com democratsofmilton.com higherheightsforamericapac.org bhfs.com thedailystar.net democracycandidate.us womencount.org milkeninstitute.org pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov vanguardngr.com congress.gov amnestyusa.org sites.google.com nationofchange.org yesmagazine.org ajc.com chicagotribune.com facebook.com youtube.com chicago.suntimes.com politico.com punchbowl.news dailyherald.com localcandidates.org abc7chicago.com instagram.com docquery.fec.gov justfacts.votesmart.org welch.senate.gov huffman.house.gov democrats-energycommerce.house.gov ocasio-cortez.house.gov watsoncoleman.house.gov govinfo.gov wikidata.org votesmart.org krishnamoorthi.house.gov developer.ballotpedia.org

Positions

LiberalConservative

Economy & Taxes

Supports strengthening Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid while opposing tax giveaways for wealthy interests and lowering taxes for working- and middle-class Illinoisans; advocates investing in good-paying jobs and job training to put more money in workers' pockets.

Healthcare

The candidate describes healthcare as a human right and states she will sponsor the Medicare for All Act to achieve universal coverage and lower costs. She also supports strengthening Medicare and Medicaid and protecting access to lifesaving care for marginalized groups.

Immigration & Border

Supports a pathway to citizenship, protection of birthright citizenship, streamlined immigration processing, and an end to large-scale deportations and practices that circumvent due process; emphasizes welcoming policies for immigrants.

Abortion & Reproductive Rights

Supports reproductive freedom and opposes national abortion bans; will fight proposals for a federal ban and work to protect existing reproductive health protections. Identifies the Dobbs decision as a loss of rights and says she will defend access to reproductive health care for constituents including military service members and Illinois residents.

Public Safety & Guns

Supports banning the sale of assault weapons and backing federal assault-weapons restrictions while also funding law enforcement, mental-health services, and local public-safety initiatives. Has introduced a local ordinance to ban assault-weapon sales and says she would support the Assault Weapons Ban of 2025 as a Member of Congress.

News

AINews Summary

Last updatedJul 15, 2026

Yasmeen Bankole is in the news as one of the Democratic candidates in Illinois’s 8th Congressional District race ahead of the primary. She recently took part in a candidates debate focused on U.S. policy toward Israel and Gaza, where contenders discussed international law, a two-state solution, and the role of U.S. foreign policy. The broader Illinois primary is drawing attention because of major statewide races and heavy campaign spending.

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Articles

CTChicago Tribune4 months ago