First Congressional District: Bobby Rush Earns Nomination

CHICAGO, IL — With 65 percent of precincts reporting, U.S. Rep. Bobby Rush has earned the Democratic nomination and will face Philanise White in the general election in November. Rush is the incumbent and has served in the position since 1993.

CORRECTION: A previous version of the article stated Rush had retained his seat; this is incorrect. He has earned the Democratic nomination.

Rush has 84,881 votes with 96 percent of the precincts reporting, and the next closest candidate was Sarah Gad with 12,544 votes.

The First Congressional District includes communities in both Will and Cook counties. Municipalities in the district include: Alsip, Chicago, Crestwood, Elwood, Evergreen Park, Frankfort, Harvey, Manhattan, Markham, Mokena, New Lenox, Oak Forest, Oak Lawn, Orland Park, Tinley Park, Worth and Palos Heights.

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About the candidates

Bobby Rush

Rush has been in office since 1993 and is an honorably discharged veteran of the U.S. Army and an ordained minister with a Master's in theology, according to his campaign website. He also serves as pastor of the Beloved Community Christian Church of God in Christ in Chicago.

"Rush fights every day for his constituents; to improve their lives, grow the economy, bring jobs to the district, and build a stronger middle class," his campaign site said.

According to his campaign site, Rush has focused on providing a public policy approach to creating jobs, tackling gun violence and making communities safer.

Ameena Nuur Matthews

Matthews was raised in Chicago by her grandmother and is a specialized violence intervention expert, according to her campaign website. She is the subject of the documentary, "The Interrupters," which has been shown at numerous festival including Sundance Film Festival.

Matthews has received several awards for her activism, including being named the 2011 Chicagoan of the Year and the TedX Midwest Heroes award. She has also been a guest on The Colbert Report and The Jeff Probst Show.

"Today, Dr. Matthews is still in the trenches of Chicago’s neighborhoods working to strengthen the community so that the youth have the capacity to exercise formal social control and respond to issues in non-violent," her website reads.

Matthews has several priorities, including: ending the school to prison pipeline, women's rights, abolish privatized prisons, gun control, LGBTQIA+ rights, mental health care and immigration justice.

Sarah Gad

According to her campaign website, Gad was born in 1987 to first-generation immigrant parents. Gad dreamed of being a doctor and graduated with a degree in microbiology. However, she was in a serious car accident during her third year of medical school and was prescribed opioids after multiple broken bones.

Gad's opioid addiction eventually took her to Cook County Jail and according to her website, she was sexually assaulted, beaten, stabbed, and denied medical care for her injuries—all of which took place with the knowledge and complicity of correctional officers. After struggling with her addiction, Gad eventually met civil rights attorney Kathleen Zellner, and began to work in her law firm. Gad went on to go to law school at the University of Chicago and also started an organization to raise awareness for addiction treatment in jails and prisons.

"Her transformation from a disenfranchised former prisoner to a law student fighting for justice on behalf of others goes to show that she is a fearless leader who does not back down in the face of adversity or oppression," her site reads.

Gad lists several priorities on her website, including: ending health care injustice, ending gun violence, defending a woman's right to control her own body, a comprehensive employment legislation reform and ending employment discrimination.

Robert Emmons, Jr.

According to his campaign website, Emmons was raised in New Jersey and eventually moved in with his grandparents in Auburn Gresham in Chicago. He attended University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, and moved back to Chicago after college.

Emmons has worked as a manager of program innovation at OneGoal, where he focused on projects aimed to increase college-persistence in low-income areas. He has also worked as a community leader with the Obama Foundation.

"This work showed me the power of people to effect change in their communities. I believe that this power, paired with federal support from a committed representative, can bring immediate improvements to the lives of all those in the 1st district of Illinois," his website reads.

Emmons lists several priorities on his website, including: protecting a woman's right to choose, ending gun violence, investing in healthcare and mental healthcare, ending mass incarceration, pass a Green New Deal, get lead out of drinking water, guarantee universal pre-K and end reliance on standardized testing.

The Republican race for the First Congressional District is uncontested, with Philanise White as the only candidate.

Philanise White

White currently serves as committeewoman for Chicago's 7th Ward, according to her campaign website. She has previously worked as the Illinois Co-Director of Black American Engagement and Outreach for the Trump campaign.

White lists several priorities including supporting Second Amendment rights, securing borders and supporting law enforcement, common sense immigration laws and affordable private health options for individuals and families.

The Democratic candidate winner will face White in November during the general election.