Robert Emmons Takes On Rep. Bobby Rush In 1st District

CHICAGO, IL — At 26, Robert Emmons of Chicago is out to prove he can take on political powerhouse Rep. Bobby Rush and win his 1st District Congressional seat.

Emmons, 26, has worked with Sen. Dick Durbin to research background on increasing the national minimum wage, and he serves as a manager of program innovation for OneGoal, a nonprofit that works to increase the number of low-income students who graduate from college. Emmons also has worked with NextGen Climate, Generation Progress and the Obama Foundation.

"Everything I have ever done professionally has been about connecting communities to people to solve problems and helping them to solve those problems," he said.

Emmons, a progressive, plans to focus on gun violence, criminal justice, economic justice, human rights and education, particularly reforming the Illinois school-funding model. Gun violence, he said, is a public health issue and needs to be treated that way. Emmons intends to advance that view in office and to advocate for more funding to organizations whose work is proven to curb violence and its root causes. He promised a collaborative approach to his leadership.

"Power doesn’t come from one person," he said. "Real power comes from all of us working together."

Emmons, who grew up with his grandparents in Chicago's Auburn-Gresham neighborhood, believes he can do a better job than Rush -- who has been criticized for focusing solely on Chicago's South Side -- at representing the southwest suburbs.

"I will be working to make sure the southwest suburbs are represented as part of the entire district," he said.

For example, he said, as part of his criminal justice agenda, he will work to address car break-ins and residential thefts that have plagued the district as far as Mokena. He also is working on a proposal that would offer universal public transportation for suburban and city residents, an expanded version of the pitch by Chicago Public School students who argue that busing should be free for them. The details for his proposal have not yet been released.

YoungPAC, which supports electing young progressives to office, endorsed Emmons Thursday

"Robert has consistently proven his dedication to solving the issues affecting young people," founder Eric Oetker said in a statement. "We firmly believe as a representative he will fight and win for the issues that matter to young people in his community and throughout the country."

Emmons has outraised Rush in the first fundraising quarter ending March 31, $7,656 to $3,000, although Rush's $31,263 coffer dwarfs the $1,123 Emmons has on hand. Rush drew his money from three PACs: Charter Communications, National Association of Broadcasters and Norfolk Southern Corporation. Emmons attracted support from small donors.

Rush did not respond to requests for comment.