Longtime Congressman Announces Retirement, Joining Wave of Outgoing Democrats
Democratic Rep. Bobby Rush of Illinois has joined the growing list of veteran Democrats not running for re-election this year. Rush , 75, was first elected in 1992 and enjoyed such solid standing in his district that in…

Democratic Rep. Bobby Rush of Illinois has joined the growing list of veteran Democrats not running for re-election this year.
Rush, 75, was first elected in 1992 and enjoyed such solid standing in his district that in 2000 he defeated future President Barack Obama in a Democratic primary for the seat.
Rush has become the 24th House Democrat to retire, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.
Rush, a former Black Panther, said he wants to retire so his grandchildren can know him as a person, not just a name.
“I don’t want my grandchildren … to know me from a television news clip or something they read in a newspaper,” Rush said. “I want them to know me on an intimate level, know something about me, and I want to know something about them. I don’t want to be a historical figure to my grandchildren.”
NPR national political correspondent Mara Liasson recently said that the Democratic plight as the 2022 elections approach is unique.
“The mood is bad. I haven’t ever covered a midterm election cycle when one party is as pessimistic about their prospects as Democrats are today or that the other party, the out party, is as optimistic about their prospects as Republicans are about winning back the House,” she said, according to


