As a growing number of lawmakers head for the exits, two former House members are gambling Tuesday that voters will reward experience over novelty as the Democratic Party wrestles with generational change.
Former Reps. Jesse Jackson Jr. and Melissa Bean are running for their old House seats, south and west of Chicago. Yet, their reelection bids are no sure bet, with both competing in crowded Democratic primaries.
While Jackson and Bean point out their records advancing their districts and say they won't come to the House as "freshmen," their Democratic challengers say the moment requires a newer voice ready to take on the Trump administration.
"I will not be a backbencher in the Congress of the United States, and it will not take me 10 years to catch up and figure out where the bathroom is," Jackson, who described himself as the "change candidate" in his race, told The Hill.
"We start on day one holding Republicans and MAGA accountable for their behavior," he said.
Among several House races, Prairie State voters will head to the polls to weigh in on a hotly contested Senate Democratic primary to replace Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.).
Reps. Robin Kelly (D-Ill.) and Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.) created opportunities for Jackson and Bean in leaving their 2nd and 8th District offices to run for Durbin's seat, setting off a frenzy to replace them.
Jackson and Bean are betting that voters will remember their track records in Congress and reward them with reelection.
"What I'm hearing is people are looking for the experience that I do bring to the table, and that's one of delivering results," Bean told The Hill in an interview, noting Wall Street reforms she worked on, in addition to being a deciding vote on former President Obama's signature health care bill.
"Frankly, Congress has lost that muscle memory," added Bean, who served from 2005-11.
In the case of Jackson, he's also hoping voters will give him a second chance after he pleaded guilty in 2013 for misusing campaign funds for personal items and grappled with bipolar depression while in office.
"We have launched our campaign in large measure as 'second chances and redemption for all,'" Jackson, who served from 1995-2012, told The Hill. "My constituents have heard that message. We've discussed it for more than nine months."
Yet, many of their challengers -- who are largely younger than 61-year-old Jackson and 64-year-old Bean -- say their districts deserve something new.
"I don't think that the baggage that comes with Mr. Jr. is what we need to do to move our district forward," said Illinois state Sen. Willie Preston (D), one of the many Democrats challenging Jackson.
Bean challenger Junaid Ahmed, who's launched several tech companies, questioned the idea that she would return to Congress and do things differently. He pointed out that Bean's work, at firms like JPMorgan Chase and Mesirow Wealth Advisors, came after she served on the House Financial Services Committee, which oversees the banking system.
"What we need is a new set of people who are going to stand up for what is right for people and bring fresh ideas to Congress," Ahmed told The Hill.
Bean shrugged off the criticism, saying that "when you're a frontrunner, and particularly now in the final four days of this primary, the arrows are all pointed at you, and that's just how it goes."
Jackson, meanwhile, said that his opponents didn't know his constituents and pointed out that he had brought close to $1 billion to his district when he was in the House.
"None of our political opponents -- who people don't even know in this district -- have a record of accomplishment, experience or can begin this job on day one," he said.
Like other Illinois House primaries, outside spending has flooded the race. Think Big, a super PAC affiliated with the pro-AI Leading the Future, is supporting both Jackson and Bean. Elect Chicago Women, which reportedly has ties to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), is also supporting Bean.
Anthropic-backed Public First Action is spending money to oppose Jackson, according to The New York Times. Pro-crypto Fairshake is spending against state Sen. Robert Peters (D), who's also challenging Jackson.
Jackson and Bean aren't the only former members of Congress looking to recapture seats: Former Rep. Cori Bush (D-Mo.) is challenging Rep. Wesley Bell (D-Mo.) in St. Louis, while former Rep. Colin Allred (D-Texas) is challenging his successor, Rep. Julie Johnson (D-Texas), in the Dallas area.
Former Reps. Madison Cawthorn (R-N.C.) and Chris Collins (R-N.Y.) are vying for Rep. Byron Donalds' (R-Fla.) seat in southwest Florida, while former Rep. Mayra Flores (R-Texas) is looking to make her return to Congress representing Rio Grande Valley.
"I think there's a big difference between people who make a decision to leave on their own terms compared with people who perhaps lost an election or had to resign," said former Rep. Cheri Bustos (D-Ill.), a past chair of the House Democrats' campaign arm whose time in Congress didn't overlap with either Jackson or Bean.
"I think the emotions attached to that are very different," Bustos added.
Yet, she pointed out Congress has drastically changed in recent years. The House, in particular, has become increasingly polarized.
"When you're fighting with your own party as far as who can be ... the farthest left, or in the Republicans' case, the farthest right ... it makes you wonder, is that really what you wanna walk into every single day?" Bustos said.
A unique split screen is playing out this cycle: While many former lawmakers want to return to Congress, a growing number are seeking higher office or calling it quits altogether.
The comeback bids of Bean and Jackson are also notable, given the Democratic Party has been mired in a debate around generational change.
"This is recycled candidates," said Democratic consultant Laurie Glenn, who is not involved in either race, said of Jackson and Bean. "How about letting new people be at the table?"
Yet, Democratic strategist Jaimey Sexton, who's affiliated with Bean's campaign, pointed out the former incumbent offers a sense of familiarity and stability.
"She is a steady hand particularly for that district. I think young people can learn from her," he said.
As the party reckons with competing future visions, some clarity may arrive Tuesday.
The Illinois 2nd Congressional District "is a bellwether for what this means for the Democratic Party," Peters said.
"Are we going to be a party that allows MAGA-aligned super PACs to buy up our seats in some of the most corrupt ways possible, or are we gonna have a party that is ... fighting for the needs of working-class people?"