With filing deadline closed, more than 20 candidates running for Jackson Jr.'s seat

More than 20 candidates filed to run to replace former Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. (D-Ill.) before the filing deadline closed Monday evening, including 17 Democrats running for the heavily Democratic seat.

The crowded primary field includes former Rep. Debbie Halvorson (D-Ill.), who lost to Jackson in a 2010 primary before he resigned in November due to ethics and mental-health problems. She'll face off against Illinois state Sen. Toi Hutchinson (D), who worked for her when she was a state senator; Chicago Alderman Anthony Beale (D); former National Football League player and state Sen.-elect Napoleon Harris (D); former state Rep. Robin Kelly (D); and former U.S. Rep. Mel Reynolds (D-Ill.), who resigned from Congress after a series of ethics scandals and later served jail time.

The primary for the seat will be held on Feb. 26. Halvorson starts off with a name-recognition edge over the other candidates, but in a crowded field that has both racial and city-suburban divides, many stand a chance to win.