FILE - U.S. Rep. Bobby Rush, D-Ill., waves to guests successful the balcony arsenic helium takes his spot connected Capitol Hill successful Washington, Tuesday, Feb. 28, 2017, earlier President Donald Trump's code to a associated league of Congress. Longtime U.S. Rep. Rush, Rush formally announced Tuesday, Jan. 4, 2022, that helium volition not question a 16th word successful the U.S. House. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais, File) (Pablo Martinez Monsivais, Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

CHICAGO – Democratic Rep. Bobby Rush of Illinois formally announced Tuesday that helium volition not question a 16th term successful the U.S. House.

The erstwhile Black Panther who archetypal won predetermination successful 1992 said successful a code astatine a Chicago religion that helium isn't retiring from nationalist service.

“I volition stay connected the beforehand lines,” helium said.

Rush's announcement is creating a flurry of involvement among imaginable candidates for the heavy Democratic district, which is based connected the South Side of Chicago. Under newly approved legislature maps, the territory volition agelong into suburban and agrarian areas located southbound and southwest of the city.

In a connection Tuesday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Rush showed “fearless enactment to combat unit successful our communities — from heinous hatred crimes to the horrors of weapon violence,” during his astir 3 decades successful Congress.

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Rush is the 24th House Democrat to denote that they volition not tally for reelection this year. Eleven House Republicans person said they won't question reelection this fall, erstwhile the GOP is looking to triumph power of the chamber.

Rush is the lone idiosyncratic to triumph an predetermination implicit erstwhile President Barack Obama, whom helium defeated successful a 2000 legislature superior erstwhile Obama was an Illinois authorities senator.

Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This worldly whitethorn not beryllium published, broadcast, rewritten oregon redistributed without permission.