Melissa Bean, born Milica Luburich, the Democratic Party candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives in Illinois’ 8th Congressional District, has not responded to questions from Chicago na dlanu despite our repeated attempts to contact her.
What Did Melissa Bean Say About Kosovo?
A fundraiser in support of Melissa Luburich Bean was held in Chicago on Sunday, August 16, where she presented her candidacy to members of the Serbian community. The event was organized and supported by members of Chicago’s Serbian community and was also intended to raise money for her campaign.
Bean began her remarks by speaking about her Serbian heritage and Orthodox Christian faith, as well as her attachment to Serbia, its history and culture.
Following her remarks, members of the Serbian community asked about her candidacy, political positions and the specific steps she would take to support Serbian Americans and advocate for the interests of Serbia and the Serbian people. One attendee asked whether she personally recognized Kosovo as an independent state and whether she would support efforts for the United States to withdraw its recognition. Bean responded that she recognized Kosovo and that she could work to improve the position of the Serbian community there.
Her statement drew objections from those in attendance and raised questions about her position toward the Republic of Serbia and the Serbian community whose political and financial support she was seeking.
Chicago na dlanu’s Questions on Serbia, Kosovo and Her Serbian Heritage
At the event, Bean accepted Chicago na dlanu’s request for an interview and provided a phone number and email address to which the questions could be sent.
On August 24, Chicago na dlanu emailed her the following questions:
Serbian Heritage and Personal Ties to Serbia
1. To begin, could you tell our readers a little more about your family and your Serbian roots? What part of Serbia does your family come from, and when did your ancestors immigrate to the United States? Do you still have relatives in Serbia, and are you in contact with them?
2. How significant was your Serbian heritage while you were growing up? Was Serbian spoken in your family, and did you attend Serbian language classes at church? Which Serbian Orthodox church did you and your family attend, and to what extent did your family observe the Orthodox faith and Serbian traditions at home?
3. Are you proud of your Serbian heritage? Your official website does not mention that you are of Serbian descent or that you are an Orthodox Christian. Is there a particular reason for that?
4. Do you continue to observe Serbian Orthodox traditions today, and are you raising your children with those traditions? Do you speak Serbian at home, and do your children speak or understand at least some Serbian?
5. Have you ever visited Serbia? If so, when did you visit and which parts of the country have you been to?
NATO, Kosovo and Political Positions
6. Your father served in the U.S. military. How did you and your family view the NATO bombing of Serbia in 1999, and what is your personal view of it today?
7. The status of Kosovo and Metohija, Serbia’s southern province, remains one of the most important national issues for Serbia today. During your time in Congress, what specific steps, within the scope of your authority, did you take to try to prevent U.S. recognition of Kosovo’s independence?
8. For you personally, as Milica Luburich, is Kosovo independent, or is it “the heart of Serbia,” as Serbs often call it? And for Melissa Bean, the American politician, is Kosovo independent?
Congress, the Serbian-American Community and U.S.-Serbia Relations
9. If you are elected to Congress again, what specific steps do you plan to take to improve the position of the Serbian-American community in the United States, as well as relations between the United States and Serbia?
10. If you are elected to Congress again, do you plan to advocate for Kosovo and Metohija to be returned to Serbia?
11. How would you assess relations between the United States and Serbia today, and what do you see as the most important issues the two countries should work on in the years ahead? If elected to Congress, what specifically could you do to help strengthen those relations?
Responses Have Not Yet Arrived
Although we contacted Bean’s team several times by email, phone and text message and received confirmation that the questions had been forwarded to her, we have not received her responses.
Melissa Bean won the Democratic nomination in Illinois’ 8th Congressional District and is seeking to return to the U.S. House of Representatives, where she served from 2005 to 2011. Illinois election records confirm her 2026 Democratic nomination, while the House’s official historical record confirms her three terms from January 2005 to January 2011.
The editorial staff of Chicago na dlanu reiterates that her responses will be published in full as soon as they are received.
Photo: Milan Brašanac
