Wilmette’s Phil Andrew — a mass-shooting survivor and former FBI agent — gets in race for Schakowsky’s seat

“We need some changes,” Phil Andrew told The Record on Tuesday, the day he announced his candidacy for U.S. Congress.

Andrew, a Democrat who lives in Wilmette, is the latest to enter the race to lead the 9th Congressional District, which will need a new representative when longtime U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky retires at the end of her current and 14th term.

The race for the coveted congressional seat, which is considered one of the most securely blue seats in the country, has already drawn notable politicians State Rep. Laura Fine (D-9th) and Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss, as well as progressive influencer Kat Abughazaleh and at least seven other Democrats.

Andrew, a gun-violence survivor, believes his FBI career in crisis management and response and a lifetime of advocating for gun control set him apart.

“My record and experience are unique from anybody else who is in this race, and I think people need that choice,” he said. “This district deserves an alternative from that model of what a political representative is. I represent something very, very different.”

He added, “This race is about who can do this effectively and who can do this with strategic planning and relationship building and that has been the journey of my life.”

Local roots and experience

Phil Andrew is a North Shore native and graduate of Loyola Academy in Wilmette, where he was a star swimmer and is a member of the school’s athletic hall of fame.

In 1988, then a University of Illinois student-athlete, Andrew was visiting his Winnetka home when a shooter attacked a classroom in nearby Hubbard Woods Elementary School, shooting five students, including one, Nick Corwin, fatally. The shooter then found her way to Andrew’s home, where she took Phil Andrew and his parents hostage. After de-escalating and helping his parents escape, Phil Andrew was shot in the chest.

He began fighting gun violence from his hospital bed and has volunteered for local and state gun-control organizations, such as Everytown for Gun Safety.

Andrew spent 21 years as an FBI special agent (1997-2018), primarily as a crisis and hostage negotiator, serving stateside and abroad. In 2018, he founded PAX Group, a consulting firm focusing on violence prevention, conflict resolution and crisis planning.

“When de-escalating conflicts, saving lives and accomplishing the mission at the FBI, I always remembered the important support and empathy I received during my own recovery from violence,” Andrew wrote for his campaign website. “That compassion has taught me the foundation of resilience that I rely on even today.”

Andrew carries degrees from the University of Illinois (history/political science) and Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management. He also earned a law degree from DePaul University. He has taught courses at the FBI, DePaul and Northwestern.

He and his wife Michelle Reese Andrew raised four children in Wilmette.

Representing the 9th

The U.S’s 9th Congressional District — one of 17 in Illinois — covers most of Wilmette, Evanston, Skokie, Niles, Glenview and Northfield and a portion of several other north-suburban communities and northern Chicago.

Schakowsky has represented the district since 1998, facing little competition since — only squaring off with primary opponents twice (2008, 2012) and handily defeating Republican challengers time and time again.

Andrew said the district does not need another career politician. Instead, it needs leaders who can get things done in a “moment of crisis,” which he said describes the current state of the nation under the Trump administration.

“It is about leading in crisis,” Andrew told The Record. “We really need more than words. We need action right now.”

Andrew said his experience in responding to and solving conflict is an answer to what people in the 9th District are calling for.

Citing conversations with community members, Andrew said locals are concerned about their physical and economic safety and have lost trust in their local leaders and institutions.

“They feel like enough is enough and want something different,” he said. “They want someone who is getting up early every day and working on their behalf through effective ways but also inclusive ones.

“They’re really tired of the typical political approach, signing onto letters and a lot of talk without a lot of action. … I think people really want somebody who can work with people from across the spectrum to get things done.”

Stiff competition

On his site, Andrew says he’s “ready for the fight,” and he will have his work cut out for him to emerge from a crowded field competing to represent the 9th District.

Fine, Biss and Abughazaleh have already made strides with their respective campaigns to replace Schakowsky, but they are not the only Democrats to enter the race. Others include: State Rep. Hoan Huynh (13th), Chicago Committeeman Bruce Leon (50th Ward), Skokie School District 73.5 board member Bushra Amiwala, Chicago resident Justin Ford, Chicago resident Miracle Jenkins, Evanston resident Bethany Johnson and Skokie attorney Howard Rosenblum.

Candidates are not officially on the ballot until petition paperwork is due Nov. 3. The circulation period begins Aug. 5.

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