Non-Binary Navy Veteran Lindsay Church Launches Independent Bid for Illinois' 4th Congressional District Amid Democratic Succession Controversy

Lindsay Church, a disabled Navy veteran, nonprofit leader, spouse, and parent who identifies as queer and non-binary, has launched an independent campaign for Congress in Illinois' 4th Congressional District. Church, a post-9/11 linguist who founded a national nonprofit serving minority and underrepresented veterans, grew up in poverty with a single mother who served in the military and has worked in Congress and advised federal agencies.

In 2023, Church and their wife, who was six months pregnant at the time, fled anti-queer harassment in Richmond, Virginia, relocating 800 miles to just outside Chicago in Illinois' 4th Congressional District to provide a safe home for their newborn. “We bought this home 16 days before my baby was born. We had 16 days to get everything together and being able to bring them home and know that this was a community that would love them, support them, and that they could grow in, meant everything to me,” Church told PinkNews in an exclusive interview. “Forever I’m going to fight for this district, because this district brought me home.”

The district, covering parts of Chicago’s Southwest side, Cook County, and DuPage County, is a Democratic stronghold that has not elected a Republican since 1986 and features a predominantly working-class Hispanic population with poverty rates around 12.8 percent overall and 18 percent for children under 18. It has been represented by Democratic Rep. Jesús “Chuy” García since 2018, who secured large victories in subsequent elections.

The catalyst for Church's candidacy came in November 2025, when García announced his retirement after the filing deadline for the 2026 midterm elections had closed, positioning his chief of staff—who filed just before the deadline—as the unopposed Democratic nominee. This move drew widespread criticism for denying Democratic primary voters a choice, effectively handing the seat to the successor without competition. “Our community and our country deserves real choice. In the district that we live in, we are so heavily Democratic that the Democratic nominee genuinely goes on to win the election, which means that this decision was made for us without us casting a single ballot,” Church stated.

Church, who never envisioned a political career, framed the run as a defense of democracy: “I’m a person that believes that democracy is worth fighting for and that it requires talking to your neighbours, your communities, the cities, everyone, in order to gain the support necessary to run.” “Like I said, I did not imagine myself to be a politician or somebody that would run for office, but if not us, then who? And if not now, when?”

For LGBTQ+ communities, Church's campaign carries heightened stakes amid rising anti-trans rhetoric, ICE actions, and policies silencing voters, which Church links to personal safety concerns. Church was involved in the original push to repeal “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” and expressed heartbreak over its estimated return, impacting around 15,000 service members. “We don’t have representation on the floor. There’s no trans service member that has made it through to the floor of Congress. We have been fighting from outside the doors and it’s so important for us to be there, to be talking about these issues, to be representing ourselves,” Church said. “This is existential for me. I’ve watched my existence and my communities, my friends, trans youth, literally lose every bit of their rights while we also don’t have the representation we need to fight back.”

Church praised Delaware Rep. Sarah McBride, the first out transgender member of Congress sworn in January 2025, as a “crack in the ceiling” offering hope, but stressed the need for more voices against an “onslaught.” The candidate aims to strengthen accountability, protect democracy, and amplify district voices, including on kitchen-table issues like inflation, jobs, education, and healthcare. Church's prior advocacy, including as Executive Director of Minority Veterans of America supporting VA reproductive health access, underscores their commitment to veterans' rights.

The campaign seeks donations via ActBlue and positions Church as a transparent alternative earned through community engagement. As the only out transgender member of Congress, McBride represents progress, but Church argues LGBTQ+ people must show they “cannot be erased and their voices cannot be silenced.”