Progressive Army Veteran Launches Bid to Challenge House Democrat

CHAMPAIGN, ILLINOIS / ACCESS Newswire / May 5, 2025 / Progressive US Army veteran and scientist Dylan Blaha announced Monday he's launching a campaign to challenge Rep. Nikki Budzinski (D-Ill.) during the 2026 Democratic Primary in Illinois' 13^th District.

Blaha officially announced his campaign on April 28 in a video he posted to YouTube and other social media platforms. According to his website, he decided to run because of the lack of effort by elected Democrats to oppose ongoing actions of the Trump administration.

In his video, he called out the influence of big money in politics, stating that many politicians receive donations from large donors, lobbyists and super Political Action Committees (PACs), who they are more loyal to than the constituents they serve.

He also cited the fact that 100 wealthy families invested $2.6 billion during the 2024 election cycle. Elon Musk's super PAC spent roughly $200 million on Donald Trump's campaign.

"I will follow the path of other progressive leaders and only accept grassroots donations," said Blaha. "I will never allow money to influence my legislative decisions."

Blaha also expressed his desire for the Democratic Party to fight harder for working class Americans and find solutions to reduce income and wealth inequality.

"I believe in democracy, freedom, opportunity and equality for all Americans," said Blaha. "I believe in providing healthcare and education systems that won't leave Americans in debt. I believe everyone should be able to afford groceries and still have money left over. I'm tired of feeling left behind."

Illinois' 13th Congressional District spans across seven counties in central Illinois and includes the cities of Springfield, Champaign, Decatur, and Edwardsville. Budzinski originally won the district seat in 2022 and received 58.1% of the popular vote in the 2024 election. Her top donors include law firms, lobbyists, and super PACs.

Blaha said he ultimately decided to run for office because he believes America's elected representatives are out of touch and don't represent the interests of the people. His top positions including getting big money out of politics, protecting the working class, and pushing for progressive solutions to American problems.

The 31-year-old candidate is a 12-year veteran in the Illinois Army National Guard who served over five years on active duty, including a deployment to Afghanistan and a three-year tour in Germany. He also conducted four years of cancer research in the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign's Biochemistry department.

Blaha's military service awards include a Bronze Star Medal, a Meritorious Service Medal, four Army Commendation Medals, a Joint Service Achievement Medal, and two Army Achievement Medals. He also received the Westcott Biosciences Fellowship in Biochemistry and Chemical Biological Interface Training Program Fellowship during his graduate studies at the University of Illinois.

SOURCE: Dylan Thomas Blaha