2000 Illinois's 1st congressional district election

None related races 2000 United States House of Representatives elections in Illinois December 2025 November 2020 2000 Illinois's 1st congressional district election Illinois presidential no 1998 United States House of Representatives elections in Illinois#District 1 1998 2002 United States House of Representatives elections in Illinois#District 1 2002 November 7, 2000 x150px|Bobby Rush, incumbent Representative of Illinois's 1st congressional district Bobby Rush Democratic Party (United States) 172,271 87.8% x110px Raymond Wardingley Republican Party (United States) 23,915 12.2% U.S. Representative Bobby Rush Democratic Party (United States) Bobby Rush Democratic Party (United States) The 2000 United States House of Representatives election for the 1st district in Illinois took place on November 7, 2000, to elect a representative from Illinois's 1st congressional district for the 107th United States Congress. Incumbent Democratic representative Bobby Rush faced a primary challenge from Illinois Senator and future President Barack Obama. Rush defeated Obama 61 percent to 30 percent, with other candidates combining for the remaining nine percent. Rush later defeated his Republican opponent, Raymond Wardingley, 88 percent to 12 percent, ensuring his reelection. Subsequent to this election, Obama was elected to the Senate in 2004, and later elected President in 2008. District Illinois's 1st congressional district Illinois's 1st congressional district is a minority-majority district. At the time of the election, 65 percent of its constituents were African American. In redistricting after the 1990 United States census, the district was extended into the suburbs for the first time in 90 years, but a majority of the districts' residents (70%) lived in Chicago.Tarr David R. Congressional Districts in the 2000s: A Portrait of America 2003 CQ Press Washington, D.C. 1-56802-849-0 296 https://archive.org/details/congressionaldis0000unse_b6v5/page/296 A strongly Democratic district, only twice since 1966 has a Republican candidate for United States Congress received over 20% of the vote.Based on general election results beginning in 1968, Guide to U.S. Elections 5th 2005 CQ Press Washington, D.C. 1-56802-981-0 https://archive.org/details/guidetouselectio00cqpr Background Rush was involved in the civil rights movement of the 1960s. He was a member of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) and a former member and founder of the Illinois chapter of the Black Panther Party. After coordinating a medical clinic that treated sickle cell anemia, Rush served as an alderman and was first elected to represent Illinois's 1st district in 1992. Rush ran for Mayor of Chicago against Richard M. Daley in 1999 and lost, receiving only 28% of the vote, making him appear electorally vulnerable. Obama, at age 38, was a lecturer at the University of Chicago and a two-term state Senator. Though friends, including Terry Link, his colleague in the Illinois Senate, warned Obama against challenging Rush, as there was no obvious reason to displace him to the voters,https://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/09/us/politics/09obama.html In 2000, a Streetwise Veteran Schooled a Bold Young Obama The New York Times Janny Scott September 9, 2007 January 7, 2009 live https://web.archive.org/web/20081210135922/http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/09/us/politics/09obama.html December 10, 2008 Obama ran anyway because of his frustration with what he claimed was Republican obstructionism in the Illinois Legislature and the feeling Rush was representing the district less effectively than Obama could. Also challenging Rush were Donne Trotter, a state senator, and George Roby, a police officer. Raymond Wardingley, a perennial candidate who worked as a clown, ran unopposed for the Republican nomination.http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=CSTB&p_theme=cstb&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0EB424A56BE25ABA&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM Chicago Sun-Times Underdogs look for upset wins Chris Fusco October 24, 2000 18 July 12, 2012 July 2012 Obama's campaign 2000 Illinois's 1st congressional district Democratic primary Bobby Rush Democratic Party (US) Democratic Party (US) Donne Trotter.png Obamamiltondavis1 (cropped).jpg Bobby Rush Official portrait (cropped).jpg Democratic Party (US) Democratic Party (US) Nominee Bobby Rush Illinois presidential 7.08% 30.36% 61.03% 6,915 29,649 59,599 Donne Trotter Barack Obama Bobby Rush March 21, 2000 no Democratic Party (US) Obama entered the race in late September 1999, six months before the primary, stating that Rush represented "a politics that is rooted in the past, a reactive politics that isn’t good at coming up with concrete solutions." He promised to build consensus and lead coalitions involving people outside of the black community to reduce crime, improve health care coverage, promote economic development and expand educational opportunities. thumb|Logo of Obama's campaign Early polling showed Rush's name recognition started off at 90 percent, with Obama's at 11 percent. Rush had 70 percent approval, while Obama had 8 percent approval. In the head-to-head matchup, forty-seven percent of the people polled favored Rush, 10 percent favored Obama, and 5 percent supported Trotter, who is also African American. Most of Obama's support came from White Americans. In mid-October, Rush's son, Huey, was murdered, leading Obama to put his campaign on hold. Governor George Ryan called the Illinois Legislature to a special session to re-enact a package of gun control bills, a pet issue of Rush, which had been overturned by the Illinois Supreme Court. Obama supported the package, but the session dragged on towards Christmas. Obama annually spent the Christmas vacation in Hawaii with his family visiting his grandmother, who raised him. Obama left Illinois, expecting the session would continue into January. However, a crucial vote took place earlier than expected, failing by five votes with Obama and others absent. Obama came under fire for missing the vote though he said he would have flown back sooner, but his 18-month-old daughter was sick. Meanwhile, Rush received an outpouring of sympathy that aided his campaign.Kleine, Ted Chicago Reader March 17, 2000 July 26, 2008 http://www.chicagoreader.com/obama/000317 Is Bobby Rush in trouble? live https://web.archive.org/web/20080914203517/http://www.chicagoreader.com/obama/000317/ September 14, 2008 As Obama lived in Hyde Park, a more affluent neighborhood with a higher percentage of White voters than the rest of the district, the narrative of the race became "the Black Panther against the professor." Obama frequently came off as uptight. Rush criticized Obama: "Barack Obama went to Harvard and became an educated fool. We’re not impressed with these folks with these Eastern elite degrees. Barack is a person who read about the civil-rights protests and thinks he knows all about it."Remnick David David Remnick The New Yorker The Joshua Generation: Race and the campaign of Barack Obama November 17, 2008 http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2008/11/17/081117fa_fact_remnick?currentPage=all January 7, 2009 live https://web.archive.org/web/20131017102140/http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2008/11/17/081117fa_fact_remnick?currentPage=all October 17, 2013 Trotter said, "Barack is viewed in part to be the white man in blackface in our community." Though the Chicago Tribune endorsed Obama,https://www.nytimes.com/2000/03/21/us/campaign-briefing.html?pagewanted=2&src=pm Campaign Briefing The New York Times March 21, 2000 March 15, 2012 live https://web.archive.org/web/20120530225546/http://www.nytimes.com/2000/03/21/us/campaign-briefing.html?pagewanted=2&src=pm May 30, 2012 many, including local officials, President Bill Clinton, and Vice President Al Gore, the Democratic Party nominee for President, endorsed Rush. Then–State Representative Tom Dart supported Obama and organized on his behalf in the 19th ward.Chicago's South Side Irish Parade Bridget Houlihan Kennedy 96 February 22, 2010 Arcadia 9780738577227 https://books.google.com/books?id=3fIRPexyX-AC Obama raised enough money to remain competitive with Rush. However, he neither connected with the working-class African Americans of the district nor provided a convincing reason for them to vote against Rush. Obama later wrote: "Less than halfway into the campaign, I knew in my bones that I was going to lose. Each morning from that point forward I awoke with a vague sense of dread, realizing that I would have to spend the day smiling and shaking hands and pretending that everything was going according to plan."Obama Barack Barack Obama The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream 2006 Crown Publishers New York 0-307-23769-9 https://archive.org/details/audacityofhopeth00obam Democratic primary Candidates Nominee Bobby Rush, incumbent U.S. representative (1993–2023) Eliminated in primary Barack Obama, state senator from SD-13 (1997–2004) George Roby, retired police officer Donne Trotter, state senator from SD-16 (1993–2003) Endorsements Bobby Rush ;Executive officials Bill Clinton, president of the United States (1993–present) Al Gore, vice president of the United States (1993–present) U.S. senators Dick Durbin, Illinois (1997–present) U.S. representatives Danny Davis, IL-07 (1997–present) Jesse Jackson Jr., IL-02 (1995–2012) Charles Rangel, NY-15 (1971–2017) Local officials John Stroger, president of the Cook County Board of Commissioners (1994–2006) Individuals Jesse Jackson, civil rights activist and candidate for president in 1984 and 1988 Barack Obama ;Executive branch officials Abner Mikva, former White House counsel (1994–1995)https://rollcall.com/2007/02/09/when-obama-wasnt-a-star/ When Obama Wasn’t a Star Roll Call Whittington Laura A. February 9, 2007 July 23, 2026 State legislators Tom Dart, HD-28 (1993–2003) Local officials Toni Preckwinkle, Chicago's 4th ward (1991–2010) Individuals Michael Pfleger, priest and activist Newspapers Chicago Tribune Declined to endorse ;Local officials Richard M. Daley, mayor of Chicago (1989–2011) Individuals David Axelrod, political consultant Results Democratic primary resultshttp://www.elections.il.gov/ElectionInformation/VoteTotalsList.aspx?ElectionType=GP&ElectionID=7&SearchType=OfficeSearch&OfficeID=73&QueryType=Office& Ballots cast: Primary Election - 3/21/2000 Illinois State Board of Elections January 20, 2012 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20150406051820/http://www.elections.il.gov/ElectionInformation/VoteTotalsList.aspx?ElectionType=GP&ElectionID=7&SearchType=OfficeSearch&OfficeID=73&QueryType=Office& April 6, 2015 Bobby Rush (incumbent) Democratic Party (United States) 59,599 61.03% Barack Obama Democratic Party (United States) 29,649 30.36% Donne Trotter Democratic Party (United States) 6,915 7.08% George Roby Democratic Party (United States) 1,501 1.54% 97,664 100.00% Republican primary Candidates Nominee Raymond Wardingley, perennial candidate Results Wardingley ran for the Republican nomination without opposition. Republican primary results Raymond Wardingley Republican Party (United States) 2,721 100.00% 2,721 100.00% General election Results 2000 Illinois's 1st congressional district election resultshttp://www.elections.il.gov/ElectionInformation/VoteTotalsList.aspx?ElectionType=GE&ElectionID=8&SearchType=OfficeSearch&OfficeID=503&QueryType=Office& Ballots cast: GENERAL ELECTION - 11/7/2000 Illinois State Board of Elections January 20, 2012 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20150406054137/http://www.elections.il.gov/ElectionInformation/VoteTotalsList.aspx?ElectionType=GE&ElectionID=8&SearchType=OfficeSearch&OfficeID=503&QueryType=Office& April 6, 2015 Bobby Rush (incumbent) Democratic Party (United States) 172,271 87.81% Raymond Wardingley Republican Party (United States) 23,915 12.19% 196,186 100.00% Democratic Party (United States) Republican Party (United States) Aftermath Obama later said about his loss to Rush "I got my rear end handed to me" and acknowledged his own hubris. However, many analysts believe that Obama's loss helped him to learn from his mistakes, which enabled him to run more successful campaigns in 2004 and 2008.http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2007/02/12/obama_natural/ How Obama learned to be a natural Edward McClelland Salon.com February 12, 2007 January 7, 2009 live https://web.archive.org/web/20080416210524/http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2007/02/12/obama_natural/ April 16, 2008https://www.usatoday.com/news/politics/2007-10-24-3157940059_x.htm Obama learned from failed Congress run USA Today October 24, 2007 January 7, 2009 Christopher Wills live https://web.archive.org/web/20100528125625/http://www.usatoday.com/news/politics/2007-10-24-3157940059_x.htm May 28, 2010 Obama was seen as a stiff policy wonk, and he used the experience to hone his ability to connect with voters. According to Chicago City Council member Toni Preckwinkle, an early Obama supporter, Obama "took a hard look at himself after that campaign and became a much better campaigner, more at ease on the campaign trail." He put more effort into his campaign, hiring David Axelrod as his chief political strategist. Also, Obama increased his focus on the Illinois Senate, improving his legislative accomplishments. In 2004, Obama was the keynote speaker at the Democratic National Convention.Bernstein, David June 2007 The Speech Chicago Magazine http://www.chicagomag.com/Chicago-Magazine/June-2007/The-Speech April 13, 2008 live https://web.archive.org/web/20080614213455/http://www.chicagomag.com/Chicago-Magazine/June-2007/The-Speech/ June 14, 2008 After his speech, political pundits speculated about his future as a possible presidential candidate.August 2, 2004 Star Power. Showtime: Some are on the rise; others have long been fixtures in the firmament. A galaxy of bright Democratic lights Newsweek 48–51 http://www.newsweek.com/id/54728/output/print November 15, 2008 live https://web.archive.org/web/20081218014146/http://www.newsweek.com/id/54728/output/print December 18, 2008 After being elected to the United States Senate that year, and amid much speculation in the media regarding his future plans, Obama announced that he would seek the 2008 Democratic presidential nomination in February 2007http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/politics/chi-070210obama-pearson1-story,0,3768114.story Obama: I'm running for president Chicago Tribune Pearson, Rick Long, Ray February 10, 2007 September 20, 2008 live https://web.archive.org/web/20070813115846/http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/politics/chi-070210obama-pearson1-story%2C0%2C3768114.story August 13, 2007Obama Launches Presidential Bid February 10, 2007 https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/6349081.stm BBC News Online January 14, 2008 live https://web.archive.org/web/20080202060802/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/6349081.stm February 2, 2008 and went on to defeat fellow senator Hillary Clinton in one of the closest presidential nomination races in American history.Nagourney Adam Jeff Zeleny Clinton to End Bid and Endorse Obama https://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/05/us/politics/04cnd-campaign.html The New York Times June 5, 2008 November 20, 2010 live https://web.archive.org/web/20110511230818/http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/05/us/politics/04cnd-campaign.html May 11, 2011 He then defeated John McCain, also a senator, in the general election to become President of the United States.https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/us_elections_2008/7709978.stm Obama wins historic US election BBC News Online November 5, 2008 November 5, 2008 live https://web.archive.org/web/20081225032131/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/us_elections_2008/7709978.stm December 25, 2008 He was re-elected in 2012. Bobby Rush served a total of thirty years in the House of Representatives, retiring in early 2023 after 15 terms. See also Illinois Electoral history of Barack Obama Illinois Senate career of Barack Obama Bibliography The Bridge: The Life and Rise of Barack Obama David Remnick Random House Digital, Inc 2010 978-1-4000-4360-6 656 The Bridge: The Life and Rise of Barack Obama References Category:Barack Obama Illinois 2000 Category:2000 Illinois elections Illinois's 1st congressional district election Illinois 2000 01