Challengers in Illinois’ 6th and 10th Congressional Districts Face Voters on The Lightning Strike

Voters in two closely watched Illinois congressional districts heard directly from Democratic primary challengers on Sunday morning January 4, 2026 during a candidates’ forum broadcast on The Lightning Strike, the weekly progressive radio program airing on WCPT 820 AM Radio.

The forum featured Joey Ruzevich, a challenger in Illinois’ 6th Congressional District, and Morgan Coghill, a challenger in Illinois’ 10th Congressional District, offering listeners an in-depth opportunity to engage with candidates seeking to unseat established party incumbents ahead of the 2026 Democratic primaries.

Incumbents in both districts were invited to participate but did not respond to repeated outreach, according to the program’s producers.

Hosted and moderated by The Lightning Strike producer and host Mohammed Faheem, the 45-minute forum prioritized substance over soundbites, allowing candidates extended time to outline their positions and respond to follow-up questions on key domestic and foreign policy issues.

Candidates were questioned by a panel that included former U.S. Representative Marie Newman, Civic leader Reed Bible, Dr. Sheila White, a longtime community advocate and educator, and Mike Patino, a progressive strategist and organizer.

Panelists pressed the candidates on economic inequality, healthcare access, labor rights, democratic accountability, U.S. foreign policy, including the war in Gaza, and strategies to increase voter participation in low-turnout primaries.

“Primary elections are where voters have the greatest power to shape the direction of their party,” Faheem said. “This forum was designed to give both incumbents and challengers a serious, fair platform and to give voters the depth and context they rarely get in traditional debates.”

Both Ruzevich and Coghill spoke about the challenges of running against entrenched political structures, emphasizing grassroots organizing, coalition-building beyond traditional party bases, and the need to energize voters who are often disengaged during non-presidential election cycles. Audience questions submitted digitally were also incorporated into the discussion, reflecting concerns from constituents across both districts.

The forum underscored a broader shift in local political engagement, as challengers and panelists alike highlighted growing frustration with political stagnation and the increasing demand for accountability within the Democratic Party.

Political observers note that turnout could play a decisive role in both races, particularly among younger voters, working-class communities, and voters mobilized by issue-driven campaigns rather than party loyalty.

Sunday’s broadcast is part of The Lightning Strike’s ongoing civic engagement initiative, which includes candidate forums, issue-focused town halls, and voter education programming aimed at expanding participation among historically underrepresented communities. The next forum featuring candidates in the 7th Illinois congressional district is on Sunday, January 11, from 8:15 to 9:00 AM.

The full forum is available through WCPT’s broadcast archives, on The Lightning Strike website www.tlsradio.com, and The Lightning Strike platforms on YouTube/@tlsradio and Facebook/tlsradio. Forums featuring congressional candidates will continue through the next several weeks during the Sunday morning program.

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Ray Hanania

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Ray Hanania is an award-winning columnist, author & former Chicago City Hall reporter (1977-1992). A veteran who served during the Vietnam War and the recipient of four SPJ Peter Lisagor Awards for column writing, Hanania writes weekly opinion columns on mainstream American & Chicagoland topics for the Southwest News-Herald, Des Plaines Valley News, the Regional News, The Reporter Newspapers, and Suburban Chicagoland.

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Hanania was named "Best Ethnic American Columnist" by the New America Media in November 2007, and is the 2009 recipient of the SPJ National Sigma Delta Chi Award for column writing.

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