A Human Rights Lawyer & Immigrant, Rashid & His Family First Moved to DuPage County in 1988
NAPERVILLE, IL: Qasim Rashid [Ka-Sim Ra-Sheed], a human rights lawyer, is announcing his candidacy for U.S. Congress in Illinois’ 11th Congressional District. At a time of immense wealth and income inequality, catastrophic climate change, and attacks on our foundational rights, Qasim is running to bring his decades of experience in public service and human rights advocacy to Congress to ensure every resident of the 11th District has equal access to justice.
“We are thrilled to offer voters of the 11th District a bold choice in the 2024 election,” said Ben Goldberg, Campaign Manager for Qasim for Congress. “Qasim proudly rejects corporate money and believes in the strength of people-powered and funded campaigns. He believes the scientific consensus that the climate crisis is real and caused by fossil fuel companies. And he will tirelessly fight to deliver healthcare as a human right.”
Qasim and his family emigrated from Pakistan in 1987 to avoid religious persecution. Arriving in DuPage County in 1988, they soon settled into a small Section 8 apartment in Glen Ellyn. Qasim’s parents instilled in him a deep commitment to community service. As educators themselves, they encouraged Qasim and his siblings to engage with their local communities, from schools and libraries to religious institutions. After graduating from Glenbard South High School, Qasim attended North Central College in Naperville for 2 years, before completing his Bachelor’s Degree from UIC. Qasim received his law degree with honors from the University of Richmond School of Law and served as a Harvard University fellow.
Today, Qasim and his wife Ayesha live in Naperville with their three children—all of whom attend Naperville public schools. Over the past 15 years, Qasim has worked tirelessly in human rights law to support survivors of domestic and sexual violence, advocate for immigrants and refugees, mentor incarcerated citizens, lead nonprofit organizations, and represent low-income communities.
“I’m an immigrant kid who grew up in a Section 8 apartment in DuPage County, in a family who relied on food stamps to ensure we had enough to eat, and who got his first union job at 15 to help make ends meet,” said Qasim Rashid. “The wealth and income inequality my family and I suffered through in the 1990s has only gotten worse today. My parents taught me to never accept injustice, which is why I am excited to take my decades of experience as a human rights lawyer to Congress to continue my career-long fight for working people. We need someone whose values prioritize the welfare and safety of our neighbors — not the billionaire corporations that buy their way into power by funding millionaire politicians.”
Qasim is running a people-funded campaign that rejects corporate money, a value that more than 90% of Democrats share. Qasim believes our policies must be grounded in science and facts—not the whims of corporate donors. In Congress, he will continue to fight for the values he’s held for decades—economic security and justice for working people, tackling the climate crisis head-on, and demanding guaranteed healthcare for all.
