LA Shawn K. Ford

Educator, public servant & advocate for working families. Candidate for Congress, IL-07. Fighting for fairness, healthcare, & opportunity for all. 💙 #IL07

[LA Shawn K. Ford @ford4congress]

Saturday morning at the barbershop talking affordability, small business and the local economy.

Roy and Herb made an important point: when people have more money to spend locally, that money moves from the barbershop to the grocery store, the gas station and other neighborhood businesses.

Our barbers, beauticians and small businesses are part of the economic ecosystem of our communities.

Election Day is November 3. Learn what’s on your ballot, know your voting options, vote early, and make a plan to participate.

VOTE BLUE

#Affordability #SmallBusiness #Chicago #IL07

[LA Shawn K. Ford @ford4congress]

LET'S ROCK THE VOTE IN THE WEST SIDE

A community event featuring voter registration, music, refreshments, volunteer information, and a speaking program.

Sunday, October 11 | 2–4 PM
Austin, Chicago

Join Democratic nominee for Congress La Shawn K. Ford, Alderman Emma Mitts, and Alderman Monique Scott, together with @illinoisdems Democratic Party of Illinois

Sign up: https://t.co/T1FFVz6wbx

The event is open to community members, and we encourage first-time and young voters to attend. It will be filled with creative activities, with voter registration available on-site.

#FordForCongress #IL07 #CommunityEvent #GOTV

[LA Shawn K. Ford @ford4congress]

I know these are difficult times for many families. I hear from people looking for work and others trying to make each paycheck stretch further as everyday costs add up.

I see what people are going through, and I hear your concerns.

Here are 3 upcoming Chicago-area job and career opportunities:

- Oct. 15: MFS Fall Workforce Hiring Event

- Oct. 28: Chicago Urban League Employment Pathways Expo

- Oct. 29: State of Illinois Application & Recruitment Workshop

Please share with someone looking for an opportunity.

#ChicagoJobs #NowHiring #IL07

[LA Shawn K. Ford @ford4congress]

29,000 jobs added is not enough.

The September jobs report should concern all of us. Job growth slowed to just 29,000, the unemployment rate rose to 4.2%, and the government revised July and August down by another 60,000 jobs. These are not numbers we should brush aside. They are warning signs about the direction of the labor market.

And once again, the burden is not being felt equally. Black unemployment jumped from 6.0% to 7.0% in a single month, compared with 3.6% for White workers. Among Black women age 20 and older, unemployment rose from 5.6% to 6.8%.

Behind every percentage point are people looking for work, families trying to pay their bills, and communities that need an economy capable of creating good, stable jobs. A national unemployment rate of 4.2% cannot be the end of the conversation when Black unemployment is 7.0%.

We should expect better. We need an economy that creates more jobs, expands opportunity, and does not leave entire communities experiencing a very different labor market from the national headline.

If you want this to change, you must cast your vote to send a strong message to Washington: prioritize people’s well-being before spending on war and buildings.

#jobreport #jobs #economy #blackworkers #BlackWomenAtWork #EconomicOpportunity #chicago #IL07

[LA Shawn K. Ford @ford4congress]

29,000 jobs added in September. Senators seek $3 billion more in heating aid. A new bill targets license plate surveillance.

I want Washington focused on steady work, affordable bills, and protecting your privacy.

#WashingtonWatch #FordForCongress #IL07

[LA Shawn K. Ford @ford4congress]

Early voting gives Chicago and suburban Cook County voters more options for when and where to cast their ballot in the 2026 General Election.

For Chicago voters, early voting has started and will expand to all 50 wards on Monday, October 19.

For suburban Cook County voters, limited early voting begins Wednesday, October 7, with countywide early voting beginning Monday, October 19.

Early voting continues through Monday, November 2.

Election Day is Tuesday, November 3, with polls open from 6:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Save this guide so you have the key dates handy, and check official election authorities for locations, hours, and any updates before heading out.

Chicago voters: https://t.co/XYnPcFNMWs
Suburban Cook County voters: https://t.co/vEBON2zf22

#earlyvoting #ChicagoVotes #CookCounty #Election2026 #voterinformation #IL07

[LA Shawn K. Ford @ford4congress]

EARLY VOTING HAS STARTED IN CHICAGO

Chicago voters can now cast their ballots early for the November 3 General Election. Beginning today, October 1, Early Voting is available at two downtown locations:

- Chicago Early Voting Supersite
137 S. State St.

- Chicago Board of Elections
69 W. Washington St., 6th Floor

Any registered Chicago voter can use a Chicago Early Voting location, regardless of where they live in the city. Early Voting expands to locations across all 50 wards beginning Monday, October 19.

For official locations, hours and voting information, visit Chicago Board of Elections.

https://t.co/vTILEt7ML0

#EarlyVoting #ChicagoVotes #Election2026 #Chicago #IL07

[LA Shawn K. Ford @ford4congress]

Housing counseling funds temporarily protected. Chicago challenges EPA’s climate rollback. Supreme Court takes up immigration bond hearings.

Housing stability, climate protections, and due process deserve federal action.

#WashingtonWatch #FordForCongress #IL07

[LA Shawn K. Ford @ford4congress]

EARLY VOTING HAS STARTED!

The right to vote in America was fought for, expanded, and defended across generations.

The 15th Amendment prohibited racial discrimination in voting. The 19th Amendment prohibited denying the vote based on sex, although many women of color continued to face barriers to the ballot. The 24th Amendment banned poll taxes in federal elections, and the Voting Rights Act of 1965 strengthened federal protections against racial discrimination in voting. In 1971, the 26th Amendment extended voting rights to citizens 18 and older.

In Congress, I will work to pass the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act and strengthen the protections generations of Americans fought to secure.

Each milestone brought America closer to its democratic promise.

Voting is a right with a history. Know it. Exercise it.

VOTE!

#VotingRights #VotingHistory #Democracy #AmericanHistory

[LA Shawn K. Ford @ford4congress]

WHAT DO YOUNG PEOPLE THINK ABOUT AI?

Jeremy put the tension around AI pretty simply: it can make work easier, but he is also concerned about what that could mean for jobs.

He’s one young person with one perspective. We want to hear from more of you.

What excites you about AI? What worries you? How do you think it could affect your job opportunities, education, privacy or the future you’re preparing for?

Share your perspective in our AI & Our Future Community Survey.

Take the AI & Our Future Survey: https://t.co/iQ9auUrjdu

#WhatDoYoungPeopleThink #AI #FutureOfWork #YoungPeople #IL07

[LA Shawn K. Ford @ford4congress]

PACE is hiring bus operators, with hire-on-the-spot recruitment events every Thursday in Arlington Heights and Markham.

Job seekers can apply, interview and take Pace’s Customer Service Assessment at the event. Qualified candidates may be hired on the spot and begin the employment process right away. Pace also offers free Class B CDL permit courses and paid training.

Events are held at Pace Headquarters in Arlington Heights and the Pace Central Training & Customer Relations Facility in Markham, with morning and afternoon sessions available.

For requirements, what to bring and complete event details, visit the official Pace recruitment page:

Pace Employee Recruitment Events: https://t.co/l6ILowq4l9

Please share this opportunity with someone who may be looking for work.

#FordForCongress #IL07 #jobopportunities #VoteEarly

[LA Shawn K. Ford @ford4congress]

Looking for work or your next career opportunity?
3 upcoming Chicago-area hiring events:

Oct. 1: Project H.O.O.D. Fall Hiring Event
Oct. 7: Chicagoland Area Virtual Job Fair
Oct. 8: Association House Career & Resource Fair

See the graphic for times, locations & registration.
Please share with someone looking for work.

#ChicagoJobs #Hiring #IL07

[LA Shawn K. Ford @ford4congress]

The ratepayer bill stalled in the Senate. Trump’s tariffs face a court challenge. Reuters reports an FTC probe into AI consumer risks.

Families deserve enforceable protections and corporate accountability.

#WashingtonWatch #FordForCongress #IL07

[LA Shawn K. Ford @ford4congress]

Thank you to @reproforall Reproductive Freedom for All for your endorsement and for the work you have done for more than 55 years to protect reproductive freedom across our country.

I am grateful for your support and proud to stand with those working to protect access to reproductive health care and people's freedom to make personal health care decisions without political interference.

Thank you for standing with our campaign and with communities across Illinois and the country.

#FordForCongress #ReproductiveHealth #reproductivefreedom #IL07

[LA Shawn K. Ford @ford4congress]

ROCK THE VOTE WEST SIDE

A community event featuring voter registration, music, refreshments, volunteer information, and a speaking program.

Sunday, October 11 | 2–4 PM
Austin, Chicago

Join Democratic nominee for Congress La Shawn K. Ford, Alderman Emma Mitts, and Alderman Monique Scott, together with Democratic Party of Illinois

Sign up: https://t.co/T1FFVz6wbx

The event is open to community members, and we encourage first-time and young voters to attend. It will be filled with creative activities, with voter registration available on-site. See the flyer for sign-up information.

#FordForCongress #IL07 #CommunityEvent #GOTV

[LA Shawn K. Ford @ford4congress]

https://t.co/S7w8ZQuOeA

[LA Shawn K. Ford @ford4congress]

https://t.co/Ful4d6svpk

[LA Shawn K. Ford @ford4congress]

Given today’s discussion in Washington about AI oversight, data centers and who should set the rules, I want to hear directly from the people of Illinois’ 7th Congressional District.

How is AI affecting the way you think about jobs, education, privacy, and the future?

What concerns you about the growth of data centers and their electricity demand? Where do you see opportunity, and where do you believe safeguards are needed?

AI & Our Future: A Community Survey is an opportunity to share your perspective on these questions.

The conversation about AI is moving quickly in Washington. I want the voices and concerns of our communities to be part of it.

Take the survey: AI & Our Future
https://t.co/iQ9auUrjdu

#AI #ArtificialIntelligence #DataCenters #IL07 #Chicago

[LA Shawn K. Ford @ford4congress]

Congress has a responsibility to determine what safeguards should govern AI, how those rules will be enforced, and how communities and consumers will be protected as data centers expand. Voluntary commitments from technology companies cannot substitute for Congress doing its job.

#WashingtonWatch #ArtificialIntelligence #AI #DataCenters #ConsumerProtection #IL07

[LA Shawn K. Ford @ford4congress]

Washington Watch | Sept. 29

- GAO challenges Trump’s $800M+ funding hold.
- A Head Start proposal would weaken family support. - The Supreme Court allows third-country deportations during review.

Public money demands accountability. Families deserve support. Due process matters.

#WashingtonWatch #FordForCongress