The clamor is growing louder for Jesse Jackson, Jr. to run for his old seat. And while the former 2nd district Congressman has not declared his intentions, he has gained support from multiple people in recent days. But one prominent voice has chimed in: retired U.S. Rep Bobby Rush, a civil rights icon who also represented Illinois’ 1st district for three decades.
“Jesse Jackson, Jr. is a strong, proven voice, an accomplished legislator, and a passionate advocate for the marginalized and the forgotten American citizens of the Second Congressional District,” Rush said in a statement sent to The Chicago Defender.
Rush called Jackson “the most qualified and ready-made of all the candidates” to have declared so far.
The 2nd Congressional district seat will be up for grabs in 2026 because Rep. Robin Kelly chose to run for the seat of U.S. Senator Dick Durbin, who is retiring.
Several names have entered the race or are at least mulling a run. Cook County Commissioner Donna Miller and Matteson Mayor Sheila Chalmers-Currin have formed exploratory committees. Other Democratic hopefuls who’ve filed with the Federal Election Commission include State Sen. Robert Peters, management consultant Eric France, policy expert Adal Regis, Matteson Village Clerk Yumeka Brown, and Jeremy Young, a former aide to Miller. Republican Ashley Ramos and Independent candidate Calvin L. Coleman have also registered campaigns.
Jackson, who held the seat before Kelly from 1995 until his resignation in 2012, has yet to declare his intentions for a district that looks a lot different now than the one he used to serve.
A political expert called the 2nd “one of the most expansive districts in the country,” as it includes parts of eight counties—Cook, Kankakee, Vermillion, Will, Livingston, Iroquois, Champaign and Ford. It covers almost 4,000 square miles, spanning from the urban Southside community of Kenwood to the rural downstate village of Rantoul, Illinois.
It’s not just huge, but it’s also diverse—racially, culturally and economically.
Jackson has begun conducting listening tours in some of the district’s rural areas, meeting with local leaders and community members to gain a deeper understanding of their challenges.
Rush believes Jackson can be a vital voice in the House and for his constituents, many of whom under President Donald Trump’s so-called “Big Beautiful Bill,” are poised to be impacted by cuts to Medicaid and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), whether they reside on the Southside or in Rantoul where the 2023 poverty rate was 18.7%, over seven percent higher than the national average, according to the U.S. Census.
Whoever steps up will need to connect with a district that leans Democratic but isn’t monolithic, where its residents share many of the same grievances, even though their backyards don’t look the same.
Rush, who helped found the Illinois chapter of the Black Panther Party before serving three decades in Congress, says Jackson is built for the challenge.
He said Jackson has “a distinct understanding of what the nation needs, what the residents of the 2nd Congressional District need,” and praised his “strong legislative acumen” and “a stoutheartedness that will not waiver under Trump intimidation.”
Rush closed his statement with a line that Jackson’s supporters have started to repeat.
“Run, Jesse, Run!”
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