Bushra Amiwala

[{"question": "Ballotpedia survey responses", "answer_html": "<p>See also: <a href=\"/Ballotpedia%27s_Candidate_Connection\">Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection</a></p>\n<div class=\"row\"><div class=\"col-xs-10 col-md-6 col-xs-offset-1 col-md-offset-3\"><p><a href=\"https://ballotpedia.org/Ballotpedia%27s_Candidate_Connection\"><img align=\"middle\" alt=\"Candidate Connection\" src=\"https://cdn.ballotpedia.org/images/8/88/Candidate_Connection_Logo.png\" width=\"90%\"/></a></p></div></div>\n<p>Bushra Amiwala completed <a href=\"/Ballotpedia%27s_Candidate_Connection\">Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection</a> survey in 2025. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Amiwala's responses.</p>\n<p><span class=\"expand-all\">Expand all</span> | <span class=\"collapse-all\">Collapse all</span></p>\n<div aria-multiselectable=\"true\" class=\"panel-group\" id=\"accordion\" role=\"tablist\"><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse-bio-354577-2025-09-09\" id=\"heading-bio-354577-2025-09-09\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse-bio-354577-2025-09-09\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse-bio-354577-2025-09-09\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tWho are you? Tell us about yourself.\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading-bio-354577-2025-09-09\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse-bio-354577-2025-09-09\" role=\"tabpanel\"><div class=\"panel-body\" style=\"max-height: 500px; overflow-y: scroll;\"><div class=\"answers-container\"><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\">\t\t\t\tI grew up in a one-bedroom apartment in Rogers Park, listening to my father’s stories of selling eggs in Pakistan at age three, proud he could bring home cracked ones so his sisters could eat. Years later, I realized our own eggs came from SNAP benefits. We felt deeply blessed for the life we had, simply by being born and raised in the United States. \r\n<p>That gratitude stayed with me as I grew up in Skokie, attended local schools, and later made history as the youngest elected official in the country, serving seven years on the Skokie School Board. My earliest memories include taking the Yellow Line from Skokie to Rogers Park to volunteer at A Just Harvest as a teenager, building connections that have lasted more than a decade.\r\nAfter graduating from Niles West, I earned my bachelor’s at DePaul and MBA at Northwestern, right here in IL-09. This district shaped me—from Rogers Park to Evanston, Skokie to Glenview—not as dots on a map, but as communities I’ve worked, served, and led.\r\nMy values—integrity, compassion, and collective uplift—come from lived experience, not abstraction. I stepped into leadership not for a spotlight, but to close the gap between what my community deserved and what they were getting.\r\n</p>\nPublic service to me means showing up when no one’s watching, bridging divides, and leading with empathy. Leadership is about proximity to pain and responsibility to hope—rooted in community and courageous enough to disrupt the status quo.\t\t\t</span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse-key-message-354577-2025-09-09\" id=\"heading-key-message-354577-2025-09-09\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse-key-message-354577-2025-09-09\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse-key-message-354577-2025-09-09\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tPlease list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading-key-message-354577-2025-09-09\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse-key-message-354577-2025-09-09\" role=\"tabpanel\"><div class=\"panel-body\" style=\"max-height: 500px; overflow-y: scroll;\"><div class=\"answers-container\"><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\"><ul><li>Making sure our taxpayer dollars don’t kill people. Our taxpayer dollars shouldn’t fund humanitarian crises. The numbers of lives lost in Israel's assault on Gaza is unaccountable—because entire families, entire blocks, have been wiped off the map. Our government and property taxes paid for it. The violence abroad has also wreaked devastation at home. While billions of dollars are funneled into the war effort, people in Illinois are struggling with unaffordable healthcare, medical debt, underfunded schools, food insecurity, housing instability and ballooning student loans. These are not separate issues—they are intertwined. In Congress, I will make sure our tax dollars should be building safer lives here, not destroying lives abroad.</li><li>Making education—without debt—accessible for all. The United States spends $850 billion every year on the military while our schools are left scrambling for resources. That isn’t right, and it calls for a massive reallocation of government spending.Our education system should be a pathway to opportunity, not debt. I support making public colleges tuition-free and canceling existing student loan debt. Student debt isn’t just an individual burden—it’s a community crisis holding back working families and suppressing economic mobility. We must cancel the debt. Doing so would inject up to $108 billion into the economy each year and create over a million jobs. It’s an economic imperative and a moral necessity that I will fight for in Washington.</li><li>Ensuring universal access to healthcare. I believe healthcare is a human right, not a privilege. I support a single payer universal healthcare system at the federal level because no one should be uninsured in the most prosperous country on earth. In Congress, I will work to guarantee healthcare for every person in the U.S.—regardless of income, immigration status, employment, or zip code. To me, Medicare for All is not just a political slogan; it is the morally superior, fiscally responsible policy to create the healthcare system Americans need and deserve.</li></ul></span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse1-354577-2025-09-09\" id=\"heading1-354577-2025-09-09\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse1-354577-2025-09-09\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse1-354577-2025-09-09\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tWhat areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading1-354577-2025-09-09\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse1-354577-2025-09-09\" role=\"tabpanel\"><div class=\"panel-body\" style=\"max-height: 500px; overflow-y: scroll;\"><div class=\"answers-container\"><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\">\t\t\t\tMost of us want the same things: good schools, quality healthcare, safe neighborhoods, decent jobs, a clean environment and a better future for our families. My policy platform is centered around this truth. Improving the quality of life in IL-09 is my top priority. This means education funding reform so our students are not shortchanged. It means creating a tax structure that is fair for everyone. And it means addressing the climate crisis so we have a habitable planet tomorrow. It also means calling out our authoritarian government for not abiding by the constitution - because partisanship shouldn’t get in the way of progress. My policies are not swayed by PACs and huge corporations. They are informed only by the communities I represent.\t\t\t</span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse2-354577-2025-09-09\" id=\"heading2-354577-2025-09-09\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse2-354577-2025-09-09\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse2-354577-2025-09-09\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tWhat characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading2-354577-2025-09-09\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse2-354577-2025-09-09\" role=\"tabpanel\"><div class=\"panel-body\" style=\"max-height: 500px; overflow-y: scroll;\"><div class=\"answers-container\"><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\">\t\t\t\tAn elected official should be service-oriented, determined, and creative. Leadership means thinking outside the box, finding new ways to solve problems, and above all, serving constituents—not special interests, party leaders, or even the executive branch. Every official should be accessible, providing top-notch constituent services to help whenever possible. That’s the whole point: to use the power of office to make people’s lives incrementally better. Constituents deserve representatives who deliver real benefits to their communities.<br/>\n<p>To me, true public service means acting with integrity. That’s the foundation of trust. No one should wonder where I stand or whether I can be swayed by special interests. Public office also demands compassion and courage. Compassion means leading with understanding and recognizing that every perspective—even those I may disagree with—comes from lived experience. I practice radical empathy to weigh the voices of everyone I meet. Courage means disrupting the status quo and taking principled stands, even when unpopular.<br/>\r\nI also pride myself on being a bridge-builder. My lived experience has shown me the importance of creating space for people who have been underrepresented and underserved. Building coalitions, listening across differences, and centering the lives most impacted in policymaking are at the heart of my leadership. The best officials put people before power, titles, or prestige. They champion transparency, accountability, and the common good—not just themselves.<br/>\n</p>\nThe role of our leaders is not to be the loudest voice in the room, but to listen. I vow to be a voice for all my constituents, ensuring every one of them is heard by, and is helped by, our government.\t\t\t</span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse3-354577-2025-09-09\" id=\"heading3-354577-2025-09-09\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse3-354577-2025-09-09\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse3-354577-2025-09-09\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tWhat do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading3-354577-2025-09-09\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse3-354577-2025-09-09\" role=\"tabpanel\"><div class=\"panel-body\" style=\"max-height: 500px; overflow-y: scroll;\"><div class=\"answers-container\"><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\">\t\t\t\tThe core responsibility of a Member of Congress is not to post inflammatory tweets, chase cable news spots, or cut ribbons—it is to legislate. As a representative, my job will be to write laws that serve Illinois’ 9th District and the nation. I take that responsibility seriously and will work tirelessly to ensure every bill I introduce is carefully crafted and rooted in the needs of the people I represent.<br/>\n<p>Elected officials must develop a nuanced understanding of the policies shaping their districts and work effectively with colleagues. Sometimes that requires reaching across the aisle, and I’m eager to engage in bipartisanship when it leads to the best outcomes. Lawmaking demands more than slogans; it requires digging into data, research, and the history of past legislation to craft solutions with real impact. Our communities deserve representatives who do their homework and fight until they deliver tangible benefits: affordable healthcare, equitable education, and economic security for everyone.<br/>\n</p>\nMy record reflects this commitment. For seven years on the Skokie School Board, I led with diligence, equity, and openness. I built consensus in difficult debates, ensuring even those who disagreed left knowing they were heard. In Congress, I will bring that same approach—grounded in facts, shaped by experience, and guided by the belief that the powers of this office must be wielded thoughtfully and responsibly. Constituents should expect nothing less. Every vote I cast will be with one goal: to make life better for the residents of IL-09.\t\t\t</span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse4-354577-2025-09-09\" id=\"heading4-354577-2025-09-09\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse4-354577-2025-09-09\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse4-354577-2025-09-09\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tWhat legacy would you like to leave?\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading4-354577-2025-09-09\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse4-354577-2025-09-09\" role=\"tabpanel\"><div class=\"panel-body\" style=\"max-height: 500px; overflow-y: scroll;\"><div class=\"answers-container\"><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\">\t\t\t\tI want to be remembered as a leader who empowered marginalized voices to claim space in public life—and most importantly, as someone who used power to make their lives better. As the first of my generation to run for public office, challenging a 16-year incumbent as a teenager, I’ve since heard from hundreds of young people and first-time candidates who stepped into public service because they saw me do it.<br/>\n<p>Democracy belongs to all of us. It should not matter how wealthy you are, what connections you have, or what zip code you live in—everyone deserves equal representation. For too long, our political system has privileged the wealthy few at the expense of working families, young people, immigrants, and communities of color. My career has been devoted to changing that, and my legacy will be defined by ensuring all of us are heard and respected.<br/>\r\nThat’s why I fight for student debt cancellation, tuition-free public college, Medicare for All, and a progressive tax system. These are not abstract ideas—they’re solutions rooted in the lived experiences of families in Illinois’ 9th District, where the gap between the wealthiest and the working poor is the largest in the state. Healthcare is a human right, education should open doors instead of creating lifelong debt, and the economy should serve everyday people—not just corporations or billionaires.<br/>\r\nTrue representation requires compassionate leadership that listens, builds bridges, and uplifts others. As one of the youngest elected officials in the country, and as a Muslim, first-generation American woman, I represent a shift in whose voices are heard in government. My candidacy is not just about me—it’s about expanding who belongs in power and opening doors for future leaders who reflect the communities they serve.<br/>\n</p>\nIf I’m remembered for anything, I want it to be my fight to improve the lives of voters too often ignored in government. New representation has never been more necessary—and I am determined to deliver it.\t\t\t</span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse5-354577-2025-09-09\" id=\"heading5-354577-2025-09-09\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse5-354577-2025-09-09\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse5-354577-2025-09-09\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tWhat is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading5-354577-2025-09-09\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse5-354577-2025-09-09\" role=\"tabpanel\"><div class=\"panel-body\" style=\"max-height: 500px; overflow-y: scroll;\"><div class=\"answers-container\"><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\">\t\t\t\tThe first historical event I can remember is President Obama being elected in 2008. I was just 12 years old, but even then, I realized how overdue this milestone was—that we had never previously elected a Black president. In grade school the next day, my teacher shared that we’d never had a woman president either, something else that’s long overdue in our country.\t\t\t</span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse6-354577-2025-09-09\" id=\"heading6-354577-2025-09-09\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse6-354577-2025-09-09\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse6-354577-2025-09-09\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tWhat was your very first job? How long did you have it?\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading6-354577-2025-09-09\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse6-354577-2025-09-09\" role=\"tabpanel\"><div class=\"panel-body\" style=\"max-height: 500px; overflow-y: scroll;\"><div class=\"answers-container\"><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\">\t\t\t\tI worked as a paid math tutor while in high school, helping my classmates learn precalculus, calculus and algebra for three years. <br/>\r\nAfter that, I took a role as a paid canvasser on a campaign. My job was to go door to door and ask registered Republican voters a series of five questions, the first question being: \"On a scale of one to ten, how fearful are you of an Islamic Terror Attack on US Soil?\" That position lasted only three months, but I learned volumes about the American political landscape during that time.\t\t\t</span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse7-354577-2025-09-09\" id=\"heading7-354577-2025-09-09\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse7-354577-2025-09-09\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse7-354577-2025-09-09\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tWhat is something that has been a struggle in your life?\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading7-354577-2025-09-09\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse7-354577-2025-09-09\" role=\"tabpanel\"><div class=\"panel-body\" style=\"max-height: 500px; overflow-y: scroll;\"><div class=\"answers-container\"><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\">\t\t\t\tI suffer from bipolar disorder. I was uninsured when first diagnosed, as a 21 year old and saw the way mental health can easily be criminalized and is still stigmatized. <br/>\r\nThis is one reason why I support Mental Healthcare for All, to make sure no one in the U.S. goes without the mental health resources they need.\t\t\t</span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse8-354577-2025-09-09\" id=\"heading8-354577-2025-09-09\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse8-354577-2025-09-09\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse8-354577-2025-09-09\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tWhat organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading8-354577-2025-09-09\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse8-354577-2025-09-09\" role=\"tabpanel\"><div class=\"panel-body\" style=\"max-height: 500px; overflow-y: scroll;\"><div class=\"answers-container\"><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\">\t\t\t\tCongresswoman Marie Newman<br/>\n<p>IAIMPACT<br/>\r\nMuslim Civic Coalition - Activate<br/>\r\nNext Gen Politics National Chapter<br/>\r\nNext Gen Politics Illinois<br/>\r\nCook County Latino Dems (15% of IL-9 is Hispanic or Latino)<br/>\r\nAlliance of Indians in America<br/>\r\nVillage of Skokie Trustee Keith Robinson<br/>\r\nMorton Grove Trustee Saba Khan<br/>\r\nNiles Township Trustee Mahzar Khan<br/>\r\nMorton Grove Library Board Member Mohamed Azam<br/>\r\nMorton Grove Library Board Member Kim Moldofsky<br/>\r\nD219 School Board Member Nour Akhras<br/>\r\nD219 School Board President Naema Abraham<br/>\r\nArlington Heights School Board President Anisha Patel<br/>\r\nStreamwood Park District President Raees Yawer<br/>\n</p>\nD73.5 School Board Members - entire board\t\t\t</span></div></div></div></div></div>\n<div class=\"small\" data-nosnippet=\"\"><p><i><b>Note:</b> Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.</i></p></div>", "answer_text": "See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection\n\nBushra Amiwala completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Amiwala's responses.\nExpand all | Collapse all\nWho are you? Tell us about yourself. I grew up in a one-bedroom apartment in Rogers Park, listening to my father’s stories of selling eggs in Pakistan at age three, proud he could bring home cracked ones so his sisters could eat. Years later, I realized our own eggs came from SNAP benefits. We felt deeply blessed for the life we had, simply by being born and raised in the United States. That gratitude stayed with me as I grew up in Skokie, attended local schools, and later made history as the youngest elected official in the country, serving seven years on the Skokie School Board. My earliest memories include taking the Yellow Line from Skokie to Rogers Park to volunteer at A Just Harvest as a teenager, building connections that have lasted more than a decade.\r\nAfter graduating from Niles West, I earned my bachelor’s at DePaul and MBA at Northwestern, right here in IL-09. This district shaped me—from Rogers Park to Evanston, Skokie to Glenview—not as dots on a map, but as communities I’ve worked, served, and led.\r\nMy values—integrity, compassion, and collective uplift—come from lived experience, not abstraction. I stepped into leadership not for a spotlight, but to close the gap between what my community deserved and what they were getting. Public service to me means showing up when no one’s watching, bridging divides, and leading with empathy. Leadership is about proximity to pain and responsibility to hope—rooted in community and courageous enough to disrupt the status quo. Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office? Making sure our taxpayer dollars don’t kill people. Our taxpayer dollars shouldn’t fund humanitarian crises. The numbers of lives lost in Israel's assault on Gaza is unaccountable—because entire families, entire blocks, have been wiped off the map. Our government and property taxes paid for it. The violence abroad has also wreaked devastation at home. While billions of dollars are funneled into the war effort, people in Illinois are struggling with unaffordable healthcare, medical debt, underfunded schools, food insecurity, housing instability and ballooning student loans. These are not separate issues—they are intertwined. In Congress, I will make sure our tax dollars should be building safer lives here, not destroying lives abroad. Making education—without debt—accessible for all. The United States spends $850 billion every year on the military while our schools are left scrambling for resources. That isn’t right, and it calls for a massive reallocation of government spending.Our education system should be a pathway to opportunity, not debt. I support making public colleges tuition-free and canceling existing student loan debt. Student debt isn’t just an individual burden—it’s a community crisis holding back working families and suppressing economic mobility. We must cancel the debt. Doing so would inject up to $108 billion into the economy each year and create over a million jobs. It’s an economic imperative and a moral necessity that I will fight for in Washington. Ensuring universal access to healthcare. I believe healthcare is a human right, not a privilege. I support a single payer universal healthcare system at the federal level because no one should be uninsured in the most prosperous country on earth. In Congress, I will work to guarantee healthcare for every person in the U.S.—regardless of income, immigration status, employment, or zip code. To me, Medicare for All is not just a political slogan; it is the morally superior, fiscally responsible policy to create the healthcare system Americans need and deserve. What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about? Most of us want the same things: good schools, quality healthcare, safe neighborhoods, decent jobs, a clean environment and a better future for our families. My policy platform is centered around this truth. Improving the quality of life in IL-09 is my top priority. This means education funding reform so our students are not shortchanged. It means creating a tax structure that is fair for everyone. And it means addressing the climate crisis so we have a habitable planet tomorrow. It also means calling out our authoritarian government for not abiding by the constitution - because partisanship shouldn’t get in the way of progress. My policies are not swayed by PACs and huge corporations. They are informed only by the communities I represent. What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official? An elected official should be service-oriented, determined, and creative. Leadership means thinking outside the box, finding new ways to solve problems, and above all, serving constituents—not special interests, party leaders, or even the executive branch. Every official should be accessible, providing top-notch constituent services to help whenever possible. That’s the whole point: to use the power of office to make people’s lives incrementally better. Constituents deserve representatives who deliver real benefits to their communities. To me, true public service means acting with integrity. That’s the foundation of trust. No one should wonder where I stand or whether I can be swayed by special interests. Public office also demands compassion and courage. Compassion means leading with understanding and recognizing that every perspective—even those I may disagree with—comes from lived experience. I practice radical empathy to weigh the voices of everyone I meet. Courage means disrupting the status quo and taking principled stands, even when unpopular. I also pride myself on being a bridge-builder. My lived experience has shown me the importance of creating space for people who have been underrepresented and underserved. Building coalitions, listening across differences, and centering the lives most impacted in policymaking are at the heart of my leadership. The best officials put people before power, titles, or prestige. They champion transparency, accountability, and the common good—not just themselves. The role of our leaders is not to be the loudest voice in the room, but to listen. I vow to be a voice for all my constituents, ensuring every one of them is heard by, and is helped by, our government. What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office? The core responsibility of a Member of Congress is not to post inflammatory tweets, chase cable news spots, or cut ribbons—it is to legislate. As a representative, my job will be to write laws that serve Illinois’ 9th District and the nation. I take that responsibility seriously and will work tirelessly to ensure every bill I introduce is carefully crafted and rooted in the needs of the people I represent. Elected officials must develop a nuanced understanding of the policies shaping their districts and work effectively with colleagues. Sometimes that requires reaching across the aisle, and I’m eager to engage in bipartisanship when it leads to the best outcomes. Lawmaking demands more than slogans; it requires digging into data, research, and the history of past legislation to craft solutions with real impact. Our communities deserve representatives who do their homework and fight until they deliver tangible benefits: affordable healthcare, equitable education, and economic security for everyone. My record reflects this commitment. For seven years on the Skokie School Board, I led with diligence, equity, and openness. I built consensus in difficult debates, ensuring even those who disagreed left knowing they were heard. In Congress, I will bring that same approach—grounded in facts, shaped by experience, and guided by the belief that the powers of this office must be wielded thoughtfully and responsibly. Constituents should expect nothing less. Every vote I cast will be with one goal: to make life better for the residents of IL-09. What legacy would you like to leave? I want to be remembered as a leader who empowered marginalized voices to claim space in public life—and most importantly, as someone who used power to make their lives better. As the first of my generation to run for public office, challenging a 16-year incumbent as a teenager, I’ve since heard from hundreds of young people and first-time candidates who stepped into public service because they saw me do it. Democracy belongs to all of us. It should not matter how wealthy you are, what connections you have, or what zip code you live in—everyone deserves equal representation. For too long, our political system has privileged the wealthy few at the expense of working families, young people, immigrants, and communities of color. My career has been devoted to changing that, and my legacy will be defined by ensuring all of us are heard and respected. That’s why I fight for student debt cancellation, tuition-free public college, Medicare for All, and a progressive tax system. These are not abstract ideas—they’re solutions rooted in the lived experiences of families in Illinois’ 9th District, where the gap between the wealthiest and the working poor is the largest in the state. Healthcare is a human right, education should open doors instead of creating lifelong debt, and the economy should serve everyday people—not just corporations or billionaires. True representation requires compassionate leadership that listens, builds bridges, and uplifts others. As one of the youngest elected officials in the country, and as a Muslim, first-generation American woman, I represent a shift in whose voices are heard in government. My candidacy is not just about me—it’s about expanding who belongs in power and opening doors for future leaders who reflect the communities they serve. If I’m remembered for anything, I want it to be my fight to improve the lives of voters too often ignored in government. New representation has never been more necessary—and I am determined to deliver it. What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time? The first historical event I can remember is President Obama being elected in 2008. I was just 12 years old, but even then, I realized how overdue this milestone was—that we had never previously elected a Black president. In grade school the next day, my teacher shared that we’d never had a woman president either, something else that’s long overdue in our country. What was your very first job? How long did you have it? I worked as a paid math tutor while in high school, helping my classmates learn precalculus, calculus and algebra for three years. After that, I took a role as a paid canvasser on a campaign. My job was to go door to door and ask registered Republican voters a series of five questions, the first question being: \"On a scale of one to ten, how fearful are you of an Islamic Terror Attack on US Soil?\" That position lasted only three months, but I learned volumes about the American political landscape during that time. What is something that has been a struggle in your life? I suffer from bipolar disorder. I was uninsured when first diagnosed, as a 21 year old and saw the way mental health can easily be criminalized and is still stigmatized. This is one reason why I support Mental Healthcare for All, to make sure no one in the U.S. goes without the mental health resources they need. What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign? Congresswoman Marie Newman IAIMPACT Muslim Civic Coalition - Activate Next Gen Politics National Chapter Next Gen Politics Illinois Cook County Latino Dems (15% of IL-9 is Hispanic or Latino) Alliance of Indians in America Village of Skokie Trustee Keith Robinson Morton Grove Trustee Saba Khan Niles Township Trustee Mahzar Khan Morton Grove Library Board Member Mohamed Azam Morton Grove Library Board Member Kim Moldofsky D219 School Board Member Nour Akhras D219 School Board President Naema Abraham Arlington Heights School Board President Anisha Patel Streamwood Park District President Raees Yawer D73.5 School Board Members - entire board\nNote: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it."}, {"question": "Ballotpedia survey responses", "answer_html": "<div class=\"floatright\"><a class=\"image\" href=\"/File:Candidate_Connection_Logo_-_stacked.png\"><img alt=\"Candidate Connection\" data-file-height=\"141\" data-file-width=\"504\" decoding=\"async\" height=\"56\" src=\"https://ballotpedia.s3.amazonaws.com/images/thumb/d/de/Candidate_Connection_Logo_-_stacked.png/200px-Candidate_Connection_Logo_-_stacked.png\" srcset=\"https://ballotpedia.s3.amazonaws.com/images/thumb/d/de/Candidate_Connection_Logo_-_stacked.png/300px-Candidate_Connection_Logo_-_stacked.png 1.5x, https://ballotpedia.s3.amazonaws.com/images/thumb/d/de/Candidate_Connection_Logo_-_stacked.png/400px-Candidate_Connection_Logo_-_stacked.png 2x\" width=\"200\"/></a></div>\n<p>Bushra Amiwala participated in <a href=\"/Survey\" title=\"Survey\">Ballotpedia's candidate survey</a> on February 3, 2018. The survey questions appear in bold, and Bushra Amiwala's responses follow below.<sup class=\"reference\" id=\"cite_ref-3\"><a href=\"#cite_note-3\">[3]</a></sup>\n</p>\n<div style=\"height:400px;overflow:scroll;border:1px solid gray;margin:20px;padding:10px;\">\n<p><b>What would be your top three priorities, if elected?</b>\n</p>\n<table data-nosnippet=\"\" style=\"border-collapse: collapse; border: none;background-color: transparent; auto; ;\">\n<tbody><tr>\n<td style=\"border:none; color:#B2B7F2;font-size:35px;font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-weight: bold; text-align: left; padding: 10px 3px;\" valign=\"top\" width=\"20\">“\n</td>\n<td style=\"border: none; padding: 4px 10px;\" valign=\"top\">1) Means Based Property Tax System - Making a correlation between income and how much one pays in property taxes to ensure the rich do not get unfair tax breaks and families from low income and immigrant communities are not overassessed for their homes.<br/>\n<p>2) Small Business Advocate- To simulate economic growth through small businesses, by supporting them, providing resources and incentives for them to open up in low income neighborhoods, which would also simulate jobs.<br/>\n3) Transparency- A lot of the programs the county offers to assist low income families, immigrant communities, and families of color, end up being extremely unaccessible. I want to host community town halls in all parts of the 13th district and will increase my visibility in the district as well.<sup class=\"reference\" id=\"cite_ref-BPsurvey_4-0\"><a href=\"#cite_note-BPsurvey-4\">[4]</a></sup><sup class=\"reference\" id=\"cite_ref-quotedisclaimer_5-0\"><a href=\"#cite_note-quotedisclaimer-5\">[5]</a></sup>\n</p>\n</td>\n<td style=\"border: none; color: #B2B7F2; font-size: 35px; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-weight: bold; text-align: right; padding: 10px 1px;\" valign=\"bottom\" width=\"20\">”\n</td></tr>\n</tbody></table>\n<p><b>What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about? Why?</b>\n</p>\n<table data-nosnippet=\"\" style=\"border-collapse: collapse; border: none;background-color: transparent; auto; ;\">\n<tbody><tr>\n<td style=\"border:none; color:#B2B7F2;font-size:35px;font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-weight: bold; text-align: left; padding: 10px 3px;\" valign=\"top\" width=\"20\">“\n</td>\n<td style=\"border: none; padding: 4px 10px;\" valign=\"top\">Education, Immigrant rights, issues that affect low income neighborhoods, food insecurity, serving as a voice for the real members of the community by being an advocate for our teachers, small business lawyers, and neighbors<span class=\"error mw-ext-cite-error\" dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">Cite error: Invalid <code>&lt;ref&gt;</code> tag; invalid names, e.g. too many</span><sup class=\"reference\" id=\"cite_ref-quotedisclaimer_5-1\"><a href=\"#cite_note-quotedisclaimer-5\">[5]</a></sup>\n</td>\n<td style=\"border: none; color: #B2B7F2; font-size: 35px; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-weight: bold; text-align: right; padding: 10px 1px;\" valign=\"bottom\" width=\"20\">”\n</td></tr>\n</tbody></table>\n<p>Ballotpedia also asked the candidate a series of optional questions. Bushra Amiwala answered the following: \n</p><p><b>Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?</b> <br/>\n</p>\n<table data-nosnippet=\"\" style=\"border-collapse: collapse; border: none;background-color: transparent; auto; ;\">\n<tbody><tr>\n<td style=\"border:none; color:#B2B7F2;font-size:35px;font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-weight: bold; text-align: left; padding: 10px 3px;\" valign=\"top\" width=\"20\">“\n</td>\n<td style=\"border: none; padding: 4px 10px;\" valign=\"top\">Michelle Obama; Although she was the first lady, her intelligence, character, and poise made it so she also was able to impact the nation as a whole.<sup class=\"reference\" id=\"cite_ref-quotedisclaimer_5-2\"><a href=\"#cite_note-quotedisclaimer-5\">[5]</a></sup>\n</td>\n<td style=\"border: none; color: #B2B7F2; font-size: 35px; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-weight: bold; text-align: right; padding: 10px 1px;\" valign=\"bottom\" width=\"20\">”\n</td></tr>\n</tbody></table><b>Is there a book, essay, film, or something else you would recommend to someone who wants to understand your political philosophy?</b> <br/>\n<table data-nosnippet=\"\" style=\"border-collapse: collapse; border: none;background-color: transparent; auto; ;\">\n<tbody><tr>\n<td style=\"border:none; color:#B2B7F2;font-size:35px;font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-weight: bold; text-align: left; padding: 10px 3px;\" valign=\"top\" width=\"20\">“\n</td>\n<td style=\"border: none; padding: 4px 10px;\" valign=\"top\">Any theory in regard to reforming the educational structure and how it is the root cause to solving poverty and breaking out of that cycle, and the way this disproportionately affects communities of color .<sup class=\"reference\" id=\"cite_ref-quotedisclaimer_5-3\"><a href=\"#cite_note-quotedisclaimer-5\">[5]</a></sup>\n</td>\n<td style=\"border: none; color: #B2B7F2; font-size: 35px; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-weight: bold; text-align: right; padding: 10px 1px;\" valign=\"bottom\" width=\"20\">”\n</td></tr>\n</tbody></table><b>What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?</b> <br/>\n<table data-nosnippet=\"\" style=\"border-collapse: collapse; border: none;background-color: transparent; auto; ;\">\n<tbody><tr>\n<td style=\"border:none; color:#B2B7F2;font-size:35px;font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-weight: bold; text-align: left; padding: 10px 3px;\" valign=\"top\" width=\"20\">“\n</td>\n<td style=\"border: none; padding: 4px 10px;\" valign=\"top\">Empathy, Honesty, integrity, kindness, compassion, and the desire to listen.<sup class=\"reference\" id=\"cite_ref-quotedisclaimer_5-4\"><a href=\"#cite_note-quotedisclaimer-5\">[5]</a></sup>\n</td>\n<td style=\"border: none; color: #B2B7F2; font-size: 35px; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-weight: bold; text-align: right; padding: 10px 1px;\" valign=\"bottom\" width=\"20\">”\n</td></tr>\n</tbody></table><b>What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?</b> <br/>\n<table data-nosnippet=\"\" style=\"border-collapse: collapse; border: none;background-color: transparent; auto; ;\">\n<tbody><tr>\n<td style=\"border:none; color:#B2B7F2;font-size:35px;font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-weight: bold; text-align: left; padding: 10px 3px;\" valign=\"top\" width=\"20\">“\n</td>\n<td style=\"border: none; padding: 4px 10px;\" valign=\"top\">All of the above, and most importantly empathy. I care about other families the way I would care of my own, and that is how real, progressive leadership looks like and is shaped. Actually having worked for everything my campaign has accomplished this past year is also a testament to my work ethic and passion.<sup class=\"reference\" id=\"cite_ref-quotedisclaimer_5-5\"><a href=\"#cite_note-quotedisclaimer-5\">[5]</a></sup>\n</td>\n<td style=\"border: none; color: #B2B7F2; font-size: 35px; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-weight: bold; text-align: right; padding: 10px 1px;\" valign=\"bottom\" width=\"20\">”\n</td></tr>\n</tbody></table><b>What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?</b> <br/>\n<table data-nosnippet=\"\" style=\"border-collapse: collapse; border: none;background-color: transparent; auto; ;\">\n<tbody><tr>\n<td style=\"border:none; color:#B2B7F2;font-size:35px;font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-weight: bold; text-align: left; padding: 10px 3px;\" valign=\"top\" width=\"20\">“\n</td>\n<td style=\"border: none; padding: 4px 10px;\" valign=\"top\">Being a public servant is not a 9-5 job. You will have long, 17 hour days, with back to back events, and will hear the most pure and raw concerns real people hold. As a County Commissioner, we need someone who have lived in and worked in all or almost every community in the 13th district of Cook County.<sup class=\"reference\" id=\"cite_ref-quotedisclaimer_5-6\"><a href=\"#cite_note-quotedisclaimer-5\">[5]</a></sup>\n</td>\n<td style=\"border: none; color: #B2B7F2; font-size: 35px; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-weight: bold; text-align: right; padding: 10px 1px;\" valign=\"bottom\" width=\"20\">”\n</td></tr>\n</tbody></table><b>What legacy would you like to leave?</b> <br/>\n<table data-nosnippet=\"\" style=\"border-collapse: collapse; border: none;background-color: transparent; auto; ;\">\n<tbody><tr>\n<td style=\"border:none; color:#B2B7F2;font-size:35px;font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-weight: bold; text-align: left; padding: 10px 3px;\" valign=\"top\" width=\"20\">“\n</td>\n<td style=\"border: none; padding: 4px 10px;\" valign=\"top\">One of honesty, integrity and poise. I have run my campaign on purity politics and been able to dispel a lot of the myths people have for politicians and the way politics function in society, but I have shown how attainable change can be.<sup class=\"reference\" id=\"cite_ref-quotedisclaimer_5-7\"><a href=\"#cite_note-quotedisclaimer-5\">[5]</a></sup>\n</td>\n<td style=\"border: none; color: #B2B7F2; font-size: 35px; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-weight: bold; text-align: right; padding: 10px 1px;\" valign=\"bottom\" width=\"20\">”\n</td></tr>\n</tbody></table><b>What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?</b> <br/>\n<table data-nosnippet=\"\" style=\"border-collapse: collapse; border: none;background-color: transparent; auto; ;\">\n<tbody><tr>\n<td style=\"border:none; color:#B2B7F2;font-size:35px;font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-weight: bold; text-align: left; padding: 10px 3px;\" valign=\"top\" width=\"20\">“\n</td>\n<td style=\"border: none; padding: 4px 10px;\" valign=\"top\">9/11 - I was four years old.<sup class=\"reference\" id=\"cite_ref-quotedisclaimer_5-8\"><a href=\"#cite_note-quotedisclaimer-5\">[5]</a></sup>\n</td>\n<td style=\"border: none; color: #B2B7F2; font-size: 35px; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-weight: bold; text-align: right; padding: 10px 1px;\" valign=\"bottom\" width=\"20\">”\n</td></tr>\n</tbody></table><b>What was your very first job? How long did you have it?</b> <br/>\n<table data-nosnippet=\"\" style=\"border-collapse: collapse; border: none;background-color: transparent; auto; ;\">\n<tbody><tr>\n<td style=\"border:none; color:#B2B7F2;font-size:35px;font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-weight: bold; text-align: left; padding: 10px 3px;\" valign=\"top\" width=\"20\">“\n</td>\n<td style=\"border: none; padding: 4px 10px;\" valign=\"top\">I was 15 when I began working in my dad's store, had it for the entire summer.<sup class=\"reference\" id=\"cite_ref-quotedisclaimer_5-9\"><a href=\"#cite_note-quotedisclaimer-5\">[5]</a></sup>\n</td>\n<td style=\"border: none; color: #B2B7F2; font-size: 35px; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-weight: bold; text-align: right; padding: 10px 1px;\" valign=\"bottom\" width=\"20\">”\n</td></tr>\n</tbody></table><b>What happened on your most awkward date?</b> <br/>\n<table data-nosnippet=\"\" style=\"border-collapse: collapse; border: none;background-color: transparent; auto; ;\">\n<tbody><tr>\n<td style=\"border:none; color:#B2B7F2;font-size:35px;font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-weight: bold; text-align: left; padding: 10px 3px;\" valign=\"top\" width=\"20\">“\n</td>\n<td style=\"border: none; padding: 4px 10px;\" valign=\"top\">The person in front of me said: \"my great grandfather was the founder of Pakistan, got assassinated, so my grandmother was extremely disappointed in me going on a date with a politician.\" I didn't realize I was a \"politician\" or that he already told his grandmother about me<sup class=\"reference\" id=\"cite_ref-quotedisclaimer_5-10\"><a href=\"#cite_note-quotedisclaimer-5\">[5]</a></sup>\n</td>\n<td style=\"border: none; color: #B2B7F2; font-size: 35px; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-weight: bold; text-align: right; padding: 10px 1px;\" valign=\"bottom\" width=\"20\">”\n</td></tr>\n</tbody></table><b>What is your favorite holiday? Why?</b> <br/>\n<table data-nosnippet=\"\" style=\"border-collapse: collapse; border: none;background-color: transparent; auto; ;\">\n<tbody><tr>\n<td style=\"border:none; color:#B2B7F2;font-size:35px;font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-weight: bold; text-align: left; padding: 10px 3px;\" valign=\"top\" width=\"20\">“\n</td>\n<td style=\"border: none; padding: 4px 10px;\" valign=\"top\">Ramadan! The month of spiritual cleansing and being more in touch with my religion is really nice<sup class=\"reference\" id=\"cite_ref-quotedisclaimer_5-11\"><a href=\"#cite_note-quotedisclaimer-5\">[5]</a></sup>\n</td>\n<td style=\"border: none; color: #B2B7F2; font-size: 35px; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-weight: bold; text-align: right; padding: 10px 1px;\" valign=\"bottom\" width=\"20\">”\n</td></tr>\n</tbody></table><b>What is your favorite book? Why?</b> <br/>\n<table data-nosnippet=\"\" style=\"border-collapse: collapse; border: none;background-color: transparent; auto; ;\">\n<tbody><tr>\n<td style=\"border:none; color:#B2B7F2;font-size:35px;font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-weight: bold; text-align: left; padding: 10px 3px;\" valign=\"top\" width=\"20\">“\n</td>\n<td style=\"border: none; padding: 4px 10px;\" valign=\"top\">The Percy Jackson Series - I am extremely interested in greek mythology.<sup class=\"reference\" id=\"cite_ref-quotedisclaimer_5-12\"><a href=\"#cite_note-quotedisclaimer-5\">[5]</a></sup>\n</td>\n<td style=\"border: none; color: #B2B7F2; font-size: 35px; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-weight: bold; text-align: right; padding: 10px 1px;\" valign=\"bottom\" width=\"20\">”\n</td></tr>\n</tbody></table><b>If you could be any fictional character, who would you want to be?</b> <br/>\n<table data-nosnippet=\"\" style=\"border-collapse: collapse; border: none;background-color: transparent; auto; ;\">\n<tbody><tr>\n<td style=\"border:none; color:#B2B7F2;font-size:35px;font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-weight: bold; text-align: left; padding: 10px 3px;\" valign=\"top\" width=\"20\">“\n</td>\n<td style=\"border: none; padding: 4px 10px;\" valign=\"top\">Honestly never thought about this<sup class=\"reference\" id=\"cite_ref-quotedisclaimer_5-13\"><a href=\"#cite_note-quotedisclaimer-5\">[5]</a></sup>\n</td>\n<td style=\"border: none; color: #B2B7F2; font-size: 35px; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-weight: bold; text-align: right; padding: 10px 1px;\" valign=\"bottom\" width=\"20\">”\n</td></tr>\n</tbody></table><b>What is your favorite thing in your home or apartment? Why?</b> <br/>\n<table data-nosnippet=\"\" style=\"border-collapse: collapse; border: none;background-color: transparent; auto; ;\">\n<tbody><tr>\n<td style=\"border:none; color:#B2B7F2;font-size:35px;font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-weight: bold; text-align: left; padding: 10px 3px;\" valign=\"top\" width=\"20\">“\n</td>\n<td style=\"border: none; padding: 4px 10px;\" valign=\"top\">My balcony - especially when it is nice out!<sup class=\"reference\" id=\"cite_ref-quotedisclaimer_5-14\"><a href=\"#cite_note-quotedisclaimer-5\">[5]</a></sup>\n</td>\n<td style=\"border: none; color: #B2B7F2; font-size: 35px; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-weight: bold; text-align: right; padding: 10px 1px;\" valign=\"bottom\" width=\"20\">”\n</td></tr>\n</tbody></table><b>What was the last song that got stuck in your head?</b> <br/>\n<table data-nosnippet=\"\" style=\"border-collapse: collapse; border: none;background-color: transparent; auto; ;\">\n<tbody><tr>\n<td style=\"border:none; color:#B2B7F2;font-size:35px;font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-weight: bold; text-align: left; padding: 10px 3px;\" valign=\"top\" width=\"20\">“\n</td>\n<td style=\"border: none; padding: 4px 10px;\" valign=\"top\">Suga Suga' by Baby Bash<sup class=\"reference\" id=\"cite_ref-quotedisclaimer_5-15\"><a href=\"#cite_note-quotedisclaimer-5\">[5]</a></sup>\n</td>\n<td style=\"border: none; color: #B2B7F2; font-size: 35px; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-weight: bold; text-align: right; padding: 10px 1px;\" valign=\"bottom\" width=\"20\">”\n</td></tr>\n</tbody></table><b>What is something that has been a struggle in your life?</b> <br/>\n<table data-nosnippet=\"\" style=\"border-collapse: collapse; border: none;background-color: transparent; auto; ;\">\n<tbody><tr>\n<td style=\"border:none; color:#B2B7F2;font-size:35px;font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-weight: bold; text-align: left; padding: 10px 3px;\" valign=\"top\" width=\"20\">“\n</td>\n<td style=\"border: none; padding: 4px 10px;\" valign=\"top\">Proving my worth as a Muslim woman and always having every accomplishment seem all the more extraordinary because of this: \"you are so articulate.. for a Muslim woman.\" Microaggressions as such.<sup class=\"reference\" id=\"cite_ref-quotedisclaimer_5-16\"><a href=\"#cite_note-quotedisclaimer-5\">[5]</a></sup>\n</td>\n<td style=\"border: none; color: #B2B7F2; font-size: 35px; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-weight: bold; text-align: right; padding: 10px 1px;\" valign=\"bottom\" width=\"20\">”\n</td></tr>\n</tbody></table><b>What qualities does this office possess that makes it a unique and important part of the local government?</b> <br/>\n<table data-nosnippet=\"\" style=\"border-collapse: collapse; border: none;background-color: transparent; auto; ;\">\n<tbody><tr>\n<td style=\"border:none; color:#B2B7F2;font-size:35px;font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-weight: bold; text-align: left; padding: 10px 3px;\" valign=\"top\" width=\"20\">“\n</td>\n<td style=\"border: none; padding: 4px 10px;\" valign=\"top\">We assess property taxes which directly affects education funding. We also deal with Public health, through the county hospitals and County Jails, through public safety.<sup class=\"reference\" id=\"cite_ref-quotedisclaimer_5-17\"><a href=\"#cite_note-quotedisclaimer-5\">[5]</a></sup>\n</td>\n<td style=\"border: none; color: #B2B7F2; font-size: 35px; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-weight: bold; text-align: right; padding: 10px 1px;\" valign=\"bottom\" width=\"20\">”\n</td></tr>\n</tbody></table><b>What responsibilities of this office do you personally consider the most important?</b> <br/>\n<table data-nosnippet=\"\" style=\"border-collapse: collapse; border: none;background-color: transparent; auto; ;\">\n<tbody><tr>\n<td style=\"border:none; color:#B2B7F2;font-size:35px;font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-weight: bold; text-align: left; padding: 10px 3px;\" valign=\"top\" width=\"20\">“\n</td>\n<td style=\"border: none; padding: 4px 10px;\" valign=\"top\">Being connected with people who actually live in the district and the community to ensure their needs are being met and concerns are being heard<sup class=\"reference\" id=\"cite_ref-quotedisclaimer_5-18\"><a href=\"#cite_note-quotedisclaimer-5\">[5]</a></sup>\n</td>\n<td style=\"border: none; color: #B2B7F2; font-size: 35px; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-weight: bold; text-align: right; padding: 10px 1px;\" valign=\"bottom\" width=\"20\">”\n</td></tr>\n</tbody></table><b>Are there any little-known powers or responsibilities held by this office that you believe more people should be aware of?</b> <br/>\n<table data-nosnippet=\"\" style=\"border-collapse: collapse; border: none;background-color: transparent; auto; ;\">\n<tbody><tr>\n<td style=\"border:none; color:#B2B7F2;font-size:35px;font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-weight: bold; text-align: left; padding: 10px 3px;\" valign=\"top\" width=\"20\">“\n</td>\n<td style=\"border: none; padding: 4px 10px;\" valign=\"top\">Property Tax Appeals<sup class=\"reference\" id=\"cite_ref-quotedisclaimer_5-19\"><a href=\"#cite_note-quotedisclaimer-5\">[5]</a></sup>\n</td>\n<td style=\"border: none; color: #B2B7F2; font-size: 35px; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-weight: bold; text-align: right; padding: 10px 1px;\" valign=\"bottom\" width=\"20\">”\n</td></tr>\n</tbody></table><b>Do you believe that it’s beneficial for holders of this office to have previous experience in government or politics?</b> <br/>\n<table data-nosnippet=\"\" style=\"border-collapse: collapse; border: none;background-color: transparent; auto; ;\">\n<tbody><tr>\n<td style=\"border:none; color:#B2B7F2;font-size:35px;font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-weight: bold; text-align: left; padding: 10px 3px;\" valign=\"top\" width=\"20\">“\n</td>\n<td style=\"border: none; padding: 4px 10px;\" valign=\"top\">Not really - it is a board seat, part of the reason why I chose this position, because I knew I wouldn't be the single governing entity or body, but we would have to make collaborative decisions with the other 17 elected board officials.<sup class=\"reference\" id=\"cite_ref-quotedisclaimer_5-20\"><a href=\"#cite_note-quotedisclaimer-5\">[5]</a></sup>\n</td>\n<td style=\"border: none; color: #B2B7F2; font-size: 35px; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-weight: bold; text-align: right; padding: 10px 1px;\" valign=\"bottom\" width=\"20\">”\n</td></tr>\n</tbody></table><b>What kind of skills or expertise do you believe would be the most helpful for the holders of this office to possess?</b> <br/>\n<table data-nosnippet=\"\" style=\"border-collapse: collapse; border: none;background-color: transparent; auto; ;\">\n<tbody><tr>\n<td style=\"border:none; color:#B2B7F2;font-size:35px;font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-weight: bold; text-align: left; padding: 10px 3px;\" valign=\"top\" width=\"20\">“\n</td>\n<td style=\"border: none; padding: 4px 10px;\" valign=\"top\">My volunteering at a local community kitchen made it so I was able to answer the question that fathomed our County Board Members for the past decade: why aren’t people of color signing up for County Care? And after talking, to many people of color, who qualify for this service, I can tell you. It is because they do not know about it. And those who do, have no idea how to sign up, because guess what, none of our town hall meetings are held in the areas they live in.<sup class=\"reference\" id=\"cite_ref-quotedisclaimer_5-21\"><a href=\"#cite_note-quotedisclaimer-5\">[5]</a></sup>\n</td>\n<td style=\"border: none; color: #B2B7F2; font-size: 35px; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-weight: bold; text-align: right; padding: 10px 1px;\" valign=\"bottom\" width=\"20\">”\n</td></tr>\n</tbody></table>\n</div>", "answer_text": "Bushra Amiwala participated in Ballotpedia's candidate survey on February 3, 2018. The survey questions appear in bold, and Bushra Amiwala's responses follow below. [3]\nWhat would be your top three priorities, if elected? “ 1) Means Based Property Tax System - Making a correlation between income and how much one pays in property taxes to ensure the rich do not get unfair tax breaks and families from low income and immigrant communities are not overassessed for their homes. 2) Small Business Advocate- To simulate economic growth through small businesses, by supporting them, providing resources and incentives for them to open up in low income neighborhoods, which would also simulate jobs. 3) Transparency- A lot of the programs the county offers to assist low income families, immigrant communities, and families of color, end up being extremely unaccessible. I want to host community town halls in all parts of the 13th district and will increase my visibility in the district as well. [4] [5] ” What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about? Why? “ Education, Immigrant rights, issues that affect low income neighborhoods, food insecurity, serving as a voice for the real members of the community by being an advocate for our teachers, small business lawyers, and neighbors Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; invalid names, e.g. too many [5] ” Ballotpedia also asked the candidate a series of optional questions. Bushra Amiwala answered the following: Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why? “ Michelle Obama; Although she was the first lady, her intelligence, character, and poise made it so she also was able to impact the nation as a whole. [5] ” Is there a book, essay, film, or something else you would recommend to someone who wants to understand your political philosophy? “ Any theory in regard to reforming the educational structure and how it is the root cause to solving poverty and breaking out of that cycle, and the way this disproportionately affects communities of color . [5] ” What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official? “ Empathy, Honesty, integrity, kindness, compassion, and the desire to listen. [5] ” What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder? “ All of the above, and most importantly empathy. I care about other families the way I would care of my own, and that is how real, progressive leadership looks like and is shaped. Actually having worked for everything my campaign has accomplished this past year is also a testament to my work ethic and passion. [5] ” What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office? “ Being a public servant is not a 9-5 job. You will have long, 17 hour days, with back to back events, and will hear the most pure and raw concerns real people hold. As a County Commissioner, we need someone who have lived in and worked in all or almost every community in the 13th district of Cook County. [5] ” What legacy would you like to leave? “ One of honesty, integrity and poise. I have run my campaign on purity politics and been able to dispel a lot of the myths people have for politicians and the way politics function in society, but I have shown how attainable change can be. [5] ” What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time? “ 9/11 - I was four years old. [5] ” What was your very first job? How long did you have it? “ I was 15 when I began working in my dad's store, had it for the entire summer. [5] ” What happened on your most awkward date? “ The person in front of me said: \"my great grandfather was the founder of Pakistan, got assassinated, so my grandmother was extremely disappointed in me going on a date with a politician.\" I didn't realize I was a \"politician\" or that he already told his grandmother about me [5] ” What is your favorite holiday? Why? “ Ramadan! The month of spiritual cleansing and being more in touch with my religion is really nice [5] ” What is your favorite book? Why? “ The Percy Jackson Series - I am extremely interested in greek mythology. [5] ” If you could be any fictional character, who would you want to be? “ Honestly never thought about this [5] ” What is your favorite thing in your home or apartment? Why? “ My balcony - especially when it is nice out! [5] ” What was the last song that got stuck in your head? “ Suga Suga' by Baby Bash [5] ” What is something that has been a struggle in your life? “ Proving my worth as a Muslim woman and always having every accomplishment seem all the more extraordinary because of this: \"you are so articulate.. for a Muslim woman.\" Microaggressions as such. [5] ” What qualities does this office possess that makes it a unique and important part of the local government? “ We assess property taxes which directly affects education funding. We also deal with Public health, through the county hospitals and County Jails, through public safety. [5] ” What responsibilities of this office do you personally consider the most important? “ Being connected with people who actually live in the district and the community to ensure their needs are being met and concerns are being heard [5] ” Are there any little-known powers or responsibilities held by this office that you believe more people should be aware of? “ Property Tax Appeals [5] ” Do you believe that it’s beneficial for holders of this office to have previous experience in government or politics? “ Not really - it is a board seat, part of the reason why I chose this position, because I knew I wouldn't be the single governing entity or body, but we would have to make collaborative decisions with the other 17 elected board officials. [5] ” What kind of skills or expertise do you believe would be the most helpful for the holders of this office to possess? “ My volunteering at a local community kitchen made it so I was able to answer the question that fathomed our County Board Members for the past decade: why aren’t people of color signing up for County Care? And after talking, to many people of color, who qualify for this service, I can tell you. It is because they do not know about it. And those who do, have no idea how to sign up, because guess what, none of our town hall meetings are held in the areas they live in. [5] ”"}]