ENDORSEMENT: Bobby Rush for Congress in 1st District

In this moment of Black Lives Matter, Rush appears to have found new energy.

SHARE ENDORSEMENT: Bobby Rush for Congress in 1st District
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Bobby Rush is endorsed by the Sun-Times in the 1st Congressional District general election.

Rich Hein/Sun-Times

Bobby Rush was once a member of the Black Panthers, an organization that scared the dickens out of much of white America. Over time, Rush mainstreamed his approach to political change, first as a Chicago alderman and then — for the last 27 years — as a member of Congress, but his passion for social justice remains.

Now, in this moment of Black Lives Matter, Rush appears to have found new energy. He is pushing legislation to protect the immigrant parents of DACA children, to remove and replace Confederate monuments, and to create a commission to study systemic racism in the federal government.

We endorse Rush, who lives in Chicago, over his Republican challenger, Philanise White, who has been active locally in GOP campaigns.

1st Congressional District map.

1st Congressional District map.

Illustration by Caroline Hurley


For more information about this race and others, including candidate questionnaires, go to our Illinois voting guide. Our newspaper is owned by a group of civic-minded and, in some cases, politically active investors; for details, see our owner information page.

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