Bobby Rush
Bobby Rush | |
|---|---|
Official portrait, 2018 | |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Illinois's 1st district | |
| In office January 3, 1993 – January 3, 2023 | |
| Preceded by | Charles Hayes |
| Succeeded by | Jonathan Jackson |
| Member of the Chicago City Council from the 2nd ward | |
| In office April 29, 1983 – January 3, 1993 | |
| Preceded by | William Barnett |
| Succeeded by | Madeline Haithcock |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Bobby Lee Rush November 23, 1946 Albany, Georgia, U.S. |
| Party | Democratic (1974–present) |
| Other political affiliations | Black Panther (1968–1974) |
| Spouses |
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| Education | Roosevelt University (BGS) University of Illinois, Chicago (MA) McCormick Theological Seminary (MA) |
| Military service | |
| Branch/service | United States Army |
| Years of service | 1963–1968 |
Bobby Lee Rush (born November 23, 1946) is an American politician, activist, and pastor who served as the U.S. representative for Illinois's 1st congressional district for three decades, ending in 2023. A civil rights activist during the 1960s, Rush co-founded the Illinois chapter of the Black Panther Party.
Rush was first elected to Congress in 1992 and won consecutive reelections until his retirement. A member of the Democratic Party, Rush is the only politician to have defeated Barack Obama in an election, which he did in the 2000 Democratic primary for Illinois's 1st congressional district.
Rush's district was originally principally on the South Side of Chicago, with a population from 2003 to early 2013 that was 65% African-American, a higher proportion than any other congressional district. In 2011 the Illinois General Assembly redistricted this area after the 2010 census. Although still minority-majority, since early 2013 it is 51.3% African American, 36.1% White, 9.8% Hispanic, and 2% Asian. On January 3, 2022, Rush announced that he was retiring from Congress.