Melissa Bean

Melissa Bean was adopted into a Chicago area family with three other children and grew up around her father's engineering business.¹ She held several jobs while attending Maine East High School, and her father served as a Marine Raider in the Pacific during World War II.² She and her husband raised two daughters.²

Bean earned an associate degree at Oakton Community College and continued taking classes while working, completing a political science bachelor's degree at Roosevelt University in 2002.¹ Her early work in technology led to promotions and eventually her own consulting business.¹ She completed her bachelor's degree during her first congressional campaign.¹

After an unsuccessful 2002 campaign, Bean defeated Republican Phil Crane in 2004 and served three House terms from 2005 to 2011.¹ Her votes included the Affordable Care Act, financial regulatory reform and the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act.² After Congress, she led the Executives' Club of Chicago and held senior roles at JPMorgan Chase and Mesirow Wealth Advisors.³

Bean is the Democratic nominee seeking a return to the 8th District seat.³ Her platform supports Affordable Care Act premium tax credits, Medicare drug price negotiations and restoring Medicaid funding.⁴ She proposes more affordable college, job training and assistance with housing and employment through her Young American Empowerment Plan.⁴ She also supports a citizenship pathway in immigration reform and opposes mass deportation.⁴