Wesam Shahed is a first-generation Palestinian-American and the son of immigrants, born and raised in the Chicagoland area. He began his legal career as a prosecutor and later served as a Policy Advisor to State’s Attorney Kim Foxx, where he championed criminal justice reform. He recently served as Senior Legislative Counsel in the Illinois Attorney General’s Office under Kwame Raoul, continuing his mission to make government work for working families.
Named to the Arab American Foundation’s “30 Under 30,” Wesam also delivered a TEDx Talk titled “Does Justice Always Require a Conviction?”— a reflection of his deep belief in fairness, reform, and accountability. Beyond the courtroom, he’s led voter outreach efforts across the south suburbs and is committed to fixing the broken property tax system and lowering the cost of living.
A relentless advocate for equity and justice, Wesam is everything Donald Trump fears, a unapologetic public servant fighting for working people and building power for communities long left out.