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In the Crowded Race for the 7th Congressional Seat being Vacated by Representative Danny Davis, a recent Poll Indicates Richard Boykin has a Clear Path to Victory
A survey conducted January 26-28 by the Richard Boykin for Congress campaign clearly demonstrates that Richard Boykin has a clear path to victory in the crowded 7th Congressional District Democratic Primary to replace Danny Davis. No better-funded candidate has the same ability to build a winning plurality.
Currently, Richard Boykin has the second-best standing among the leading candidates in the race. He is viewed positively by 22% of likely voters with a net positive of 15%.
56% of likely voters believe that their Representative in Congress should be focused more on issues that will help working families and seniors in Illinois, like the economy, schools, crime, and health care, compared to 38% of voters who believe that their Representative should be focused more on protecting Illinoisans from the threats of Trump, like ICE and his attacks on democracy.
This ideological dichotomy gives Boykin an advantage in a crowded field where every candidate is clamoring for attention and message saturation.

Boykin is the only candidate who has developed substantial policy papers on gun violence, affordability, healthcare, and the economy.
After testing negative messages against the four leading candidates (Ford, Boykin, Friedman, and Conyears-Ervin) and positive messaging for Boykin, Ford, Friedman, Conyears-Ervin, Driver, and Fisher, Boykin catapults into the lead:
| Candidate | Support | Lean | Total |
| La Shawn Ford | 13% | 2% | 14% |
| Melissa Conyears-Ervin | 7% | 0% | 7% |
| Jason Friedman | 5% | 1% | 6% |
| Rory Hoskins | 2% | 0% | 2% |
| Anthony Driver, Jr. | 4% | 0% | 4% |
| Richard Boykin | 21% | 2% | 23% |
| Kina Collins | 8% | 0% | 8% |
| Thomas Fisher | 9% | 0% | 10% |
These results show that the January paid communications campaign waged by Jason Friedman has been largely ineffective, and that the initial television buy by Melissa Conyears-Ervin has had a negligible effect.
Another finding of note in the survey is that County Treasurer Maria Pappas, who recently enthusiastically endorsed Boykin, is slightly more popular in the 7th District than Congressman Danny Davis.
- In the Crowded Race for the 7th Congressional Seat being Vacated by Representative Danny Davis, a recent Poll Indicates Richard Boykin has a Clear Path to Victory - February 4, 2026
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