Long-time Democratic Rep. Bobby Rush Announces his Retirement

Rep. Bobby Rush, the dean of Illinois' U.S. House delegation, will not seek a 16th term in this year's midterm elections. He becomes the 24th Democrat to announce they are retiring or seeking another office this year. 11 Republicans have made that decision. 

Rush has represented the state's 1st congressional district for the entirety of his 30 years in the House. In its current form, it extends southwest from the south side of Chicago. While the boundaries are changing in redistricting, it will remain a safely Democratic district. He won his final term by a 48% margin in 2020.

Rush has the distinction of being the only person to defeat former President Barack Obama in an election. Obama, then a state Senator, challenged him in the 2000 Democratic primary.

Happy birthday @RepBobbyRush! To celebrate, I'm resharing my map of the only election @BarackObama ever lost - his 2000 primary bid against Rush. It was a spirited campaign that proved Rush's resilience and prepared Obama for his future senate and presidential campaigns. #twill pic.twitter.com/mU1OLiG63s

— Andrew Ellison (@AndrewPEllison) November 23, 2020