Bobby Rush

Bobby Rush
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 1983–1993
Preceded by	William Barnett
Succeeded by	Madeline Haithcock
Personal details
Born	Bobby Lee Rush (1946-11-23) November 23, 1946 (age 78) Albany, Georgia, U.S.
Political party	Democratic (1974–present)
Other political affiliations	Black Panther (1968–1974)
Spouses	Sandra Milan ​ ​ (m. 1965; div. 1973)​ Carolyn Thomas ​ ​ (m. 1980; died 2017)​ Paulette Holloway ​ (m. 2018)​
Education	Roosevelt University (BGS) University of Illinois, Chicago (MA) McCormick Theological Seminary (MA)
Military service
Allegiance	United States
Branch/service	United States Army
Years of service	1963–1968
Bobby Rush's voice Bobby Rush on the genocide in Darfur Recorded September 20, 2006

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.^[1]

Rush was first elected to Congress in 1992. He won consecutive reelections until his retirement. His 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. 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.

On January 3, 2022, Rush announced that he was retiring from Congress.^[2]