(WBBM NEWSRADIO) — Voters in the 1st Congressional District have some 20 Democratic candidates to sort through as they vote later this year on the potential successor to Congressman Bobby Rush, who is retiring.
Most are not household names. WBBM Newsradio Political Editor Craig Dellimore introduces us to two independents and checks in with a familiar name who also will be on the ballot.
Terre Layng Rosner has been a professor and department head at the University of St. Francis. She says she wanted her next step to be public service, and she’s running for the people discouraged by Capitol Hill.
“They’ve lost faith in government, and I haven’t,” Layng Rosner tells WBBM Newsradio. “I haven’t lost faith in government. I haven’t lost faith that citizen representatives can be a part of our government because we are in the government, that’s what democracy is all about.”
Also trying to make inroads with voters in the crowded field is Jonathan Swain, a businessman and former government official. He has been a deputy Chicago planning commissioner, a member of the Board of Election Commissioners and chief of staff to two aldermen. He owns the Kimbark Beverage Shoppe in Hyde Park.
Swain said he decided to run for the congressional seat when he saw people moving out of the area.
“Do we feel safer than we did 25 years ago, or do we think our community is growing in the right direction?” he said. “For me, this moment in time — especially with the number of people that are leaving our area — is a seminal moment for leadership.”
Probably more familiar to residents is candidate Pat Dowell, who currently is the alderman for Chicago’s 3rd Ward. She has the support of Service Employees International Union Local 1, which she hopes will translate into more votes in the June 28 primary.
“It certainly means a lot because they have more than 3,500 members that are within the 1st Congressional District that could be supportive of my campaign efforts,” Dowel said.
Related
All three of these 1st District candidates will be featured on this weekend’s edition of “At Issue.” It airs Sunday at 9:30 a.m. and 9:30 p.m.