The smell of grilled burgers and the blazing summer sun overtook Evanston’s Centennial Park on Saturday afternoon as organizers handed out plates of barbecue and flyers to passersby for up-and-coming Democrat Miracle Jenkins — yes, he’ll have you know that that is his real name.
Jenkins, an Evanston native, Democratic political organizer and 31-year-old father, joined the crowded Democratic primary to compete for U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky’s (D-Evanston) open seat for 2026 in early June, announcing his candidacy via a June 10 YouTube video. The barbecue served as the campaign’s official in-person launch event.
His congressional campaign, “Miracle for the Future,” reaches every corner he’s lived in the 9th district, from his early childhood home in Chicago’s Uptown to his move to Evanston at age 10.
The disparity in resources between his Chicago childhood to his schooling in Evanston, as well as his mother’s efforts to raise the family while recovering from addiction, sparked his interest in political organization, Jenkins said.
“That basically began my career in politics,” Jenkins said. “I wanted to know, ‘How do you get communities that are able to provide the opportunities and the access to things that I got in Evanston?’”
According to Jenkins, his family’s experience with food stamps and Illinois’ Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program are fundamental to his campaign platform for a “Universal New Deal.” The plan calls for universal “Medicare for All,” student loan debt forgiveness and strengthening welfare programs, among other initiatives.
Rebecca Johnson, (SPS ’25) Jenkins’ campaign manager, said she first met him while working on Toni Preckwinkle’s Chicago mayoral campaign in 2019.
She pointed to his political prowess as a deputy political director for Schakowsky’s 2018 reelection campaign and U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders’ (I-Vt.) 2020 presidential campaign, as well as his own homegrown experience, as integral to his leadership.
“Who better than Miracle, who grew up here in two different parts of the district and saw how different (they) are from each other,” Johnson said. “He just wants to make it equal, not just for the 9th Congressional District, but for everybody.”
Jenkins’ campaign chair, community organizer Kemone Hendricks, grew up alongside him in Evanston, where they both attended Evanston Township High School.
She described Jenkins as an “amazing organizer” both at the community and national levels, and pointed to his orange-and-blue campaign colors as a nod to his Evanston roots.
“Once an ETHS graduate, you forever bleed orange and blue,” Hendricks said.
Hendricks added that Jenkins’ long-standing community ties, youth and passion for the Universal New Deal will not only combat stagnation in national politics, but drive constant engagement at the local level.
In a looming Democratic primary reaching a double-digit candidate count, Jenkins said he believes his working-class upbringing and history of resilience are his greatest strength when appealing to district voters.
“Leadership can be so out of touch with what people are dealing with,” Jenkins said. “It’s crucial you have someone that has lived experiences with the working class that can point to those things and say, ‘These are why we need these big changes.’”
A previous version of this story stated that the Jenkins campaign had two campaign managers. Rebecca Johnson is the sole campaign manager, while Kemone Hendricks acts as the campaign chair. The Daily regrets the error.
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