The same machine candidate, Bobby Rush, has been ineffectively representing the people of IL-01, including President Obama, for 20 years. It's finally time for a change.
The theme of “more and better Democrats” is one of the foundational principles of this site. This can be problematic in swing districts, where it is often difficult for us to find a self-identified progressive who can run, win and hold a seat at the same time. But in districts where a Democratic victory is pretty much assured, we can afford to insist on a Congressmember who is committed to progressive principles and will stand up to the Tea Party without fear.
We have that chance in IL-1, and the candidate’s name is Ray Lodato. Ray is a longtime activist who is committed to championing progressive values in Congress for the South Side and south suburbs of Chicago. Ray is running because this extraordinary district, which has in the past 20 years produced two U.S. Senators, the Illinois House Majority Leader, the President of the Cook County Board of Commissioners, and the President of the United States, is in need of progressive leadership for the 21st Century.
The First District is a study in contrasts—it contains both one of the world’s leading research universities and neighborhoods experiencing persistently high unemployment. Ray moved to the First District 27 years ago and has been an activist addressing concerns on both sides of the community ever since. He co-founded an organization called the Neighborhood Conservation Corps, which worked at providing jobs for individuals who lived in Chicago public-housing developments, in order to develop job skills and trades to move into the mainstream economy. He served in the ward service offices of three Chicago aldermen (Bloom, Preckwinkle and Hairston). He has also worked as a professor at the University of Chicago’s Harris School of Public Policy.
The present Congressman, Bobby Rush, was first elected in 1992. Bobby Rush has been avoiding media scrutiny and running an aloof and disinterested campaign, refusing to participate in community forums or filling out questionnaires. It’s no surprise that a recent report in the Chicago Tribune found that Rush has the fourth-worst attendance record in the entire House. Even excluding time Rush spent recovering from illness in 2008, his career percentage for missed votes is still well above average. This is unacceptable, especially at a time when the First District’s residents are in need of a full-time Congressman to meet their needs.
Ray Lodato will bring creativity and energy to the many challenges facing the First District. He is calling for new policies to create new industries and new jobs, especially in clean energy. Ray supports building high-speed rail systems from Chicago to other major Midwestern cities, which will better link these cities for business and tourism, relieve airline overcrowding, and create jobs in the First District (through which many of the lines will pass) that cannot be outsourced. He is also calling for equalizing funding for public schools so that all children have the chance to learn and to prepare for 21st Century jobs.
Ray is the reform candidate for Congress, endorsed by the Independent Voters of Illinois-Independent Precinct Organization (IVI-IPO), the oldest political reform organization in the state. Meanwhile Bobby Rush promises more of the same. Unlike the perennially absent incumbent, Ray has been walking the pavements of the district day in and day out, listening to his fellow citizens. Unlike Bobby, Ray is willing to fight for the progressive cause. Unlike Bobby, Ray will do his job and actually show up. The Illinois First deserves nothing less.
The First District needs Ray Lodato. You can find our campaign at www.lodato4congress.com, or on Facebook at Ray Lodato for Congress. Check back here for frequent updates.