Bobby Rush Beats Brookins in Landslide, Takes 1st District Democratic Nomination

Bobby Rush was a convincing winner in the First Congressional District’s Democratic primary, handily defeating challenger Howard Brookins.

With votes still being counted, Rush beat Brookins in Chicago, the suburbs and Will County.

The district stretches from East 26th Street, just south of McCormick Place, through Bronzeville, Hyde Park, Englewood, and Auburn-Gresham into suburban Blue Island, Crestwood, Orland Park, Tinley Park, Frankfort, New Lenox and out to Elwood in Will County.

Brookins, a Chicago alderman for the last 12 years, was expected to give Rush some semblance of competition in today’s primary but did not even come close.

Rush has held his congressional seat since 1993. Brookins narrowly won re-election to the City Council in an April runoff election, capturing 51 percent of the vote to Marvin McNeil’s 49 percent.

On the Republican side, retired teacher August “O’Neill” Deuser was a big winner over political strategist and hip hop political talk show host Jimmy Lee Tillman II.