Voters and potential challengers may have to wait until November to find out if U.S. Rep Danny K. Davis will seek re-election for his 7th Congressional seat. For now Davis is circulating petitions for his congressional seat and for Cook County board pres
Voters and potential challengers may have to wait until November to find out if U.S. Rep Danny K. Davis will seek re-election for his 7th Congressional seat.
For now Davis is circulating petitions for his congressional seat and for Cook County board president.
Nov. 9 is when candidates have to declare what office they are seeking. Davis said he may announce before then which office he would be a candidate for but don’t be surprised if he takes his time.
“I am going to say what I am going to do when it’s time,” Davis told the Defender. “I am under no pressure to make a decision on which office to pursue. If someone wants to run for my congressional seat they are free to do so. I am not preventing anyone from getting out here circulating petitions and raising money to run.”
His interest to run for the county board stems from what the position represents.
“Cook County Board president is a leadership position. Most committee chairs in Congress had been there at least 40 years before becoming a chairman and I doubt if I will be there 40 years,” Davis told the Defender. “I have been a congressman since 1997 but I have among the least amount of seniority.”
Candidates can begin filing their petitions Oct. 26. So far, Davis has collected 40,000 signatures even though only 1,200 are needed. The primary is Feb. 2, 2010.
The other three Black candidates for county board president are incumbent Todd Stroger, Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County Dorothy Brown and Alderman Toni Preckwinkle (4th).
“It was pretty stupid for four Blacks to run and think there would be any kind of unity,” Davis said. “It would make all the sense in the world to unify around one candidate.”
The Clergy for Better Chicago, a group of 300 Black clergy from throughout Cook County, is urging the four candidates to show unity by allowing one Black candidate to run while the other three step aside.
The group met Tuesday and officially endorsed Stroger.
Brown and Preckwinkle said previously they have no plans on dropping out regardless what endorsements other candidates get.
Davis is not so sure, though.
“I am concerned about the Black vote being split and that’s not a road I want to go down,” he said.
Still, Brown said she is surprised that Davis, a member of the congressional Ways and Means Committee, would want to give up his seat to become county board president.
“He has built a very respectable career as a congressman and has been a very effective one at that, so it is surprising to see him showing interest in a local race,” Brown said. “I am concerned about the Black vote being split but in the end I think I will prevail as the next county board president.”
But Davis said he is the strongest Black candidate who could guarantee a win in light of Stroger’s weakened political support.
“Even if I did not run someone else will and either way I doubt if he (Todd Stroger) could win,” Davis said. “(So) what difference would it make if I step aside?”
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