Her district included Rogers Park in Chicago and the suburbs of Evanston, Wilmette, Kenilworth, Winnetka and Glencoe.

[2] After receiving her Juris Doctor degree in 1975 from George Washington University, Hamos became the first staff attorney for a newly formed subcommittee of the powerful U.S. House Committee on Ways and Means.

In 1998, incumbent Jan Schakowsky ran for the United States House of Representatives in Illinois's 9th congressional district.

[6] In July 2009, Hamos declared her candidacy for the U.S. House of Representatives in Illinois’ 10th congressional district, but lost to Dan Seals in the Democratic primary in February 2010.

[7] Hamos led the Department of Healthcare and Family Services (HFS) until January 9, 2015, when she resigned before incoming, newly elected governor Bruce Rauner took office.