U.S. House, Illinois 5th Congressional District · Election November 3, 2026 · Updated
Who should I vote for in Illinois's 5th Congressional District?
Mike Quigley has the strongest record in Illinois's 5th Congressional District. Mike Quigley scores 65 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, as of October 9, 2026. Mike Quigley's highest marks are relevant experience and command of the job. Tommy Hanson (4 of 15 criteria) has too little public record to score. Every score comes from public records on character, qualifications and performance, the same way for every party.
Republican
Tommy Hanson
Not enough public record for a score
Public evidence on 4 of 15 criteria
- Character
- NR
- Qualifications
- 50
- Performance
- NR
Democratic · incumbent
Strongest record
Mike Quigley
65 / 100
Public evidence on 13 of 15 criteria
- Character
- 56
- Qualifications
- 85
- Performance
- 50
The good, the bad and the unresolved
The record
The notable facts of each candidate's public life, each tied to a source and confirmed to be this person. Unresolved matters are labeled with where they stand and do not move a score.
Tommy Hanson
No notable items confirmed in news archives or public documents.
Mike Quigley
- On the record2026-06-27
Launched a campaign for Chicago mayor in the 2027 election in June 2026 while continuing his 2026 re-election race for the House against Tommy Hanson.
Source: WTTW, June 29, 2026
- On the record2026-07-11
In July 2026 the League of Women Voters canceled a planned 5th District candidate forum after he did not respond to repeated invitations, according to Loop North News.
Source: Loop North News, July 11, 2026
- On the record2025-02-06
Voted Yea on the HALT Fentanyl Act in February 2025 when Democratic Leader Jeffries voted Nay.
Source: House Clerk Roll Call 33, 2025
- On the record2024-04-17
Voted Yea on the Iran Sanctions Relief Review Act in April 2024 when Democratic Leader Jeffries voted Nay.
Source: House Clerk Roll Call 138, 2024
- Credit2022-12-20
Sponsored the Big Cat Public Safety Act (H.R. 263), restricting private ownership of big cats, enacted Dec. 20, 2022 with 258 cosponsors including 52 Republicans.
Who they are
Character
Integrity
Tells the truth, keeps their word, and takes no private gain from public office.
Tommy Hanson. No public record found.
Mike Quigley. No House Ethics Committee matter and no FEC administrative fine found; the House Clerk index shows annual financial disclosures on file and no periodic transaction reports since 2019.
Sources: House Committee on Ethics site search for Quigley, FEC administrative fines search
Courage
Takes a stand that costs them something, including telling their own side no.
Tommy Hanson. No public record found.
Mike Quigley. Has voted against Democratic Leader Jeffries on significant measures, including the Iran Sanctions Relief Review Act in April 2024 and the HALT Fentanyl Act in February 2025.
Sources: House Clerk Roll Call 138, 2024, House Clerk Roll Call 33, 2025
Accountability
Owns mistakes, answers hard questions, and works in the open.
Tommy Hanson. No public record found.
Mike Quigley. No public record found.
Temperament and judgment
Steady under pressure, decides on evidence, and treats opponents and staff with respect.
Tommy Hanson. No public record found.
Mike Quigley. In the House since 2009 and a Cook County commissioner from 1998 to 2009, with no censure, reprimand or Ethics Committee finding found.
Sources: GovTrack, Mike Quigley, House Committee on Ethics site search for Quigley
Fidelity to the oath
Uses power inside its limits: accepts certified results, obeys court rulings, follows the rules of the office.
Tommy Hanson. No public record found.
Mike Quigley. Voted Nay on both January 2021 objections to certified electors; no objection by him is recorded in January 2017. No official finding of misuse of office found.
Sources: House Clerk Roll Call 10, 2021, House Clerk Roll Call 11, 2021
What they bring
Qualifications
Relevant experience
Has done work that prepares them for this specific office.
Tommy Hanson. Owns a small business; the roster lists him as a real estate broker. Has not held public office.
Source: Ballotpedia, Tommy Hanson
Mike Quigley. U.S. representative since April 2009 and a Cook County commissioner from 1998 to 2009.
Sources: GovTrack, Mike Quigley, Office site, Biography
Command of the job
Knows the issues and knows what the office can and cannot do.
Tommy Hanson. States positions in general terms on crime, taxes and the economy, per local news coverage of his campaigns.
Sources: Loop North News, Nov. 28, 2025, Loop North News, May 20, 2024
Mike Quigley. Ranking member of the Intelligence Committee's Defense Intelligence and Overhead Architecture subcommittee and a member of the Appropriations Committee; publishes issue pages.
Sources: GovTrack, Mike Quigley, Office site, Committees and Caucuses
Communication
Explains plainly, persuades, and listens.
Tommy Hanson. Explains positions in social media video messages (one channel, E19); sought a series of 2026 debates.
Sources: Loop North News, May 20, 2024, Loop North News, July 11, 2026
Mike Quigley. Publishes an e-newsletter, issue pages and a biography; constituent channels include a Chicago district office.
Source: Office site, home page
Roots in the constituency
Lives there, knows the people, and is funded by them.
Tommy Hanson. Born in Chicago; his 2026 FEC statement of candidacy lists a Chicago 60611 address. No 2025 to 2026 itemized contributions reported.
Sources: Ballotpedia, Tommy Hanson, FEC Form 2, May 20, 2026
Mike Quigley. Lives in Chicago and has held Chicago-area office since 1998; his FEC statement lists a Chicago 60613 address. FEC by-state totals show about 72 percent of itemized individual contributions from Illinois ($170,325 of $237,025).
Sources: Office site, Biography, FEC Form 2, Dec. 2024, FEC contribution totals by state
Management
Can build and run an organization.
Tommy Hanson. No public record found.
Mike Quigley. Campaign reports are on file with the FEC through June 30, 2026, with no FEC administrative fine found.
Sources: FEC candidate page, FEC administrative fines search
What they deliver
Performance
Results
Turns ideas into outcomes.
Tommy Hanson. No public record found.
Mike Quigley. Legislative Effectiveness Score of 0.095 in the 118th Congress against a benchmark of 0.551, below expectations (meets in the 117th). Raised to 2 under E14: his Big Cat Public Safety Act was enacted Dec. 20, 2022.
Sources: Center for Effective Lawmaking House dataset, 93rd to 118th Congress, GovTrack, H.R. 263 (117th Congress)
Showing up
Does the basic work of the job.
Tommy Hanson. No public record found.
Mike Quigley. Missed 283 of 10,676 roll call votes, 2.7 percent, from April 2009 to September 2026.
Source: GovTrack, missed votes
Constituent service
Solves problems for the people they represent.
Tommy Hanson. No public record found.
Mike Quigley. Runs a Chicago district office on North Clybourn Avenue and offers help with federal agencies. No published casework totals found.
Sources: Office site, home page, Office site, Biography
Coalition building
Wins support beyond their own faction.
Tommy Hanson. No public record found.
Mike Quigley. Lugar Center Bipartisan Index score of -0.72485 in the latest posted House scores (118th Congress, 2023), ranked 273 of 436.
Source: Lugar Center and McCourt School Bipartisan Index, House Scores
Stewardship of public money
Treats tax dollars as someone else's money.
Tommy Hanson. No public record found.
Mike Quigley. No public record found.
How to read this
Each criterion is scored 0 to 4 against the written rubric in the Ballot Standard. NR means no record: there is no reliable public evidence either way, so the criterion is left out and never counts against the candidate. A total is published when at least 8 of 15 criteria have evidence.
A sitting officeholder has a longer public record than a first-time candidate, so the two totals rest on different amounts of evidence. Read the count of criteria beside each score. Low marks require an official finding or a primary record. Allegations and opinion are not used.
No policy position is scored. Evidence checked October 9, 2026. Campaigns and readers can send a correction with a public source to tpg@thepoliticalgroup.com.
Questions
Who should I vote for in Illinois's 5th Congressional District?
Mike Quigley has the strongest record in Illinois's 5th Congressional District. Mike Quigley scores 65 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, as of October 9, 2026. Mike Quigley's highest marks are relevant experience and command of the job. Tommy Hanson (4 of 15 criteria) has too little public record to score. Every score comes from public records on character, qualifications and performance, the same way for every party.
Who is running in Illinois's 5th Congressional District in 2026?
Tommy Hanson (Republican), Mike Quigley (Democratic, incumbent). The general election is November 3, 2026.
Is Tommy Hanson a good candidate for Congress?
Tommy Hanson has public evidence on 4 of the 15 Ballot Standard criteria, short of the 8 needed for a score. The evidence that exists is shown on the scorecard. No record never counts against a candidate.
Is Mike Quigley a good candidate for Congress?
Mike Quigley scores 65 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, with public evidence on 13 of 15 criteria: character 56 of 100, qualifications 85 of 100, performance 50 of 100. The standard measures character, qualifications and performance, not policy positions.
How is the strongest record decided?
The candidate with the highest Ballot Standard score has the strongest record. Each of 15 criteria on character, qualifications and performance is scored 0 to 4 from public records and established reporting, the same way for every party. No policy position is scored, and unresolved accusations never move a score.
More on this race: every Illinois race scored, and the Illinois 2026 election guide. Independent scorecard by The Political Group, not affiliated with any candidate or party.