Forum gives candidates chance to stand out as 21 fight for Rush’s 1st District seat
Sixteen candidates seeking Bobby Rush’s seat in Congress impressed voters with sharp deliveries of smart answers to questions Tuesday night during a forum in a Chicago church.
The live audience delivered the biggest applause when all 16 said they would support a federal law restoring voting rights to felons who have completed their prison sentences.
Candidates seized the chance to stand out from among a pack of 21 hopefuls vying to succeed Rush, who is not seeking a 16th term after representing the 1st District since 1993.
“This is going to be the first real election in 30 years,” said Anthony Simpkins, president and CEO of Neighborhood Housing Services of Chicago, one of many involved in presenting the forum. “This is historic.”
Presenters posed questions about gun violence, policing, economic development, abortion, voting rights and many other topics. Freedom Temple Church of God in Christ in West Englewood hosted the event.
A lot of population is concentrated in the Chicago portion of the 1st District. The seat is considered safely Democratic and predominantly Black. Of the 16 candidates on stage Tuesday, Republican Eric Carlson, of Lemont, was the only white.
Mapmakers have added more territory in Will and Kankakee counties to the 1st District, which covers Homer Township, Mokena, Frankfort, New Lenox and other communities in the south and southwest suburbs.
Still, Tuesday’s forum showed how issues that matter more to Chicago residents might pay a bigger role than concerns of suburbanites in determining the district’s next representative.
Candidates talked about the need to create jobs and support businesses in order to give young people productive alternatives to engaging in criminal activity and gun violence.
“This is about creating hyper-local economic engines in our communities,” said Karin Norington-Reaves, of Chatham. Rush has endorsed Norington-Reaves, who directed the Chicago Cook Workforce Partnership but has no experience running for elected office.
“I am not a politician,” she said.
The Rev. Chris Butler seemed to have the largest cheering section in the room, judging from responses.
“We cannot just tinker around the edges,” Butler said of economic development. “We need large, transformational
change.”
Entrepreneur and activist Jonathan Swain said constituents in Frankfort would have difficulty understanding challenges in neighborhoods like Englewood.
“If you want to change communities you need to start with living wage jobs,” Swain said.
While many candidates may lack the name recognition of front-runners, they nonetheless came across as capable and qualified to serve the district.
“Gun violence is a national health crisis,” said Kirby Birgans, a science teacher.
“We do not have a voice in our government,” said Cassandra Goodrum, an attorney.
“If you want to make change you’ve got to bust down the walls because nobody’s going to open doors for you,” said Charise Williams, a public policy administrator.
Three considered front-runners are Chicago Ald. Pat Dowell, state Sen. Jacqueline Collins and Jonathan Jackson.
Dowell said the South Suburban Airport proposed for Monee near Peotone would create economic opportunities as a cargo distribution hub in the Southland.
“We need to invest in that. We’ve waited a long time for that,” Dowell said.
Jackson, a son of the Rev. Jesse Jackson whose brother, Jesse Jackson Jr., represented the 3rd District before a corruption conviction, addressed crime.
“Our community has been overpoliced and underprotected for too long,” Jackson said. “To have safe streets we need to have the community work with police.”
Collins seemed to score points talking about her legislative record in Springfield.
“I created a task force on human trafficking, also on infant and maternal mortality,” Collins said. “I advocated for and got $50 million in funding for domestic violence programs.”
Carlson answered a question about gun violence and policing.
“The biggest problem I see on the police side is a lack of training,” he said. “On the other hand, people have to support the police.”
Most candidates expressed strong support for a woman’s right to choose an abortion, though the two Republicans as well as Butler and Democrat Robert Palmer said they supported a likely Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.
“Health care is a human right,” said Jahmal Cole, a community activist.
The forum seemed to show that even lesser-known candidates in the race would do a good job representing the district.
“What I bring to the table is the ability to bring people together,” said Steven DeJoie, who works in finance.
“We need more town halls, more direct engagement,” said Marcus Lewis of Matteson, a minister who said this was his seventh run for Congress.
Aside from Carlson, Geno Young was the only other Republican in attendance. “I’m about making sure fiscally conservative policies are put into place,” Young said.
Palmer teaches health and physical education at a Chicago public high school.
“We need to bring up the self-esteem of our youth,” he said.
Michael Thompson earned a law degree and said his priority is workforce development.
“The best deterrent to crime is a job,” Thompson said.
Two Democrats, Ameena Matthews, of Tinley Park, and Nykea Pippion McGriff, of Chicago, were listed in a program and billed as participants but were not present.
Organizers said they invited 18 candidates who had survived ballot challenges and were still in the running. However, three additional hopefuls have active candidacies, according to the Illinois State Board of Elections.
It was unclear why there was no mention of Republicans Jeffrey Regnier, of Manhattan, and Philanise White, of Chicago, and Democrat Terre Layng Rosner, of Frankfort.
Four additional candidates did not survive petition challenges. Democrats Howard Spiller, of Oak Lawn, and Darius “Dee” Nix and Stephany Rose Spaulding, both of Chicago, were removed. Republican Matthew “Matto” O’Keefe, of Chicago, withdrew.
Each attendee was allowed two minutes to make a closing statement. DeJoie seemed to capture the sentiment that candidates who do not win party primaries June 28 should seek other ways to serve their communities.
“The talent we have in this room is the talent we need,” he said.