Illinois Senate career of Barack Obama

Last updated

Barack Obama
Obamamiltondavis1 (cropped).jpg
Member of the Illinois Senate
from the 13th district
In office
January 10, 1997 –November 4, 2004

Barack Obama served three terms in the Illinois Senate from 1997 to 2004, when he was elected to the United States Senate. During this part of his career, Obama continued teaching constitutional law part time at the University of Chicago Law School as he had done as a Lecturer from 1992 to 1996, and as a Senior Lecturer from 1996 to 2004. [1] [2] [3]

Contents

In 1994, Senator Alice Palmer decided to run for the United States House of Representatives, leaving the Senate's 13th district seat open. When filing opened in 1995 for her seat, Obama entered the race. Eventually, his challengers were disqualified and he won the Democratic primary unopposed in 1996. He won re-election in 1998 and 2002. During his Senate tenure, Obama was involved with a wide range of legislation.

While serving, he ran unsuccessfully for the United States House of Representatives in the 2000 elections. In the redistricting following the 2000 Census, the Democrats gained control of the Illinois Senate, and Obama became more active in his legislation, which included work in areas such as health care, labor, law enforcement, campaign finance reform, welfare, and community reinvestment.

State elections

First state Senate election, 1996

In November 1994, U.S. Representative Mel Reynolds was re-elected to Illinois's 2nd congressional district despite being indicted for sexual assault and sexual abuse. Both Alice Palmer, Illinois State Senator for the 13th district Illinois Senate seat, [4] [5] as well as Jesse Jackson, Jr., 29-year-old son of Jesse Jackson Sr., showed interest in challenging Reynolds for his seat in the 1996 Democratic primary election. [6] Jackson Sr. approached Palmer with a deal: the Jacksons would support her bid for Congress while she would support Jackson Jr. as successor in the State Senate. However, Jackson Jr. rejected that plan and insisted on running for Reynolds's district. [7]

After Reynolds was convicted in August 1995 and resigned his seat on October 1, Illinois Governor Jim Edgar set November 28 as the date for a special primary election to fill the vacancy. [8] Palmer, who had officially launched her Congressional bid on June 27, [9] introduced and endorsed Barack Obama of Hyde Park as her successor in her State Senate seat. [10] On November 28 Jesse Jackson, Jr. won the special primary election. Palmer, who finished a distant third, stated she wouldn't seek re-election to the State Senate and was undecided about again challenging Jackson in the March 1996 primary. [11] [12]

Nominating petitions for the State Senate elections could be filed between December 11 and December 18, 1995. Obama filed his petition with more than 3,000 signatures on the first filing day, followed by a nominating petition by Ulmer Lynch, Jr. [13] On the last filing day, nominating petitions were not only filed by first-time candidates Gha-is Askia and Marc Ewell but also by Palmer, who declared that she was seeking re-election to the State Senate after all, accepting a draft by more than 100 supporters. [14]

On December 26, the Obama campaign filed objections to the legitimacy of the nominating petitions of Obama's competitors. [15] [16] On January 17, 1996, Palmer withdrew her bid for re-election after almost two-thirds of the 1,580 signatures on her nominating petitions were found to be invalid, leaving her 200 signatures short of the 757 needed to earn a place on the ballot. [16] [17] The Chicago Board of Election Commissioners had previously sustained an objection to the nominating petitions of Lynch and subsequently also sustained objections to the nominating petitions of Askia and Ewell, citing insufficient valid signatures in all three cases. [16] [17]

As a result, Obama won the Democratic nomination unopposed. [18] On November 5, Obama won the race for the 13th Senate district, with 82 percent of the vote; Harold Washington Party candidate David Whitehead (13%) and first-time Republican Party candidate Rosette Caldwell Peyton (5%) also ran. [19]

Second state Senate election, 1998

Obama was up for re-election in 1998; Illinois state senators serve one two-year term and two four-year terms each decade. In the March 17 primary, Obama won re-nomination unopposed, and first-time candidate Yesse Yehudah won the Republican nomination unopposed. [20] At the November 3 general election, Obama was re-elected to a four-year term as state senator for the 13th district with 89% of the vote; Yehudah received 11% of the vote. [21]

Third state Senate election, 2002

Obama won both the March 19 Democratic primary election and November 5, 2002, general election for the newly configured 13th district unopposed. [22] [23]

Early Senate career

On January 8, 1997, Obama was sworn in as senator. [24] Early in his first term, the just-retired U.S. Senator Paul Simon contacted longtime Obama mentor, judge and former congressman Abner Mikva suggesting that Mikva recommend Obama to Emil Jones, Jr., the powerful Democratic leader of the state Senate. "Say, our friend Barack Obama has a chance to push this campaign finance bill through," Simon said in a telephone conversation, as recounted by Mikva in a 2008 interview, "Why don’t you call your friend Emil Jones and tell him how good he is." With Jones' support, Obama helped shepherd through a sweeping law that banned most gifts from lobbyists and personal use of campaign funds by state legislators. [25]

During his first years as a state senator, Obama was a co-sponsor of a bill that restructured the Illinois welfare program into the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program. He also helped get various pieces of legislation that established a $100 million Earned Income Tax Credit for working families, increased child care subsidies for low-income families, and required advance notice before mass layoffs and plant closings passed. [26]

Campaign for Bobby Rush's congressional seat

In September 1999, Obama and fellow Senator Donne Trotter (neither faced re-election that year) both decided to seek the 2000 Democrat nomination for the U.S. House of Representatives seat, held by four term incumbent candidate Bobby Rush.

Rush had been badly defeated in the February 1999 Chicago mayoral election by Richard M. Daley — who won 45% of the African-American vote and even won Rush's own ward — and was thought to be vulnerable. [27] The support of some veteran Democratic fundraisers who saw Obama as a rising star, along with support of African-American entrepreneurs, helped him keep pace with Rush's fundraising in the district's most expensive race ever. [28]

During the campaign, Rush charged that Obama was not sufficiently rooted in Chicago's black neighborhoods to represent constituents' concerns. Rush also benefitted from an outpouring of sympathy when his son was shot to death shortly before the election. [27] Obama said Rush was a part of "a politics that is rooted in the past" and said he himself could build bridges with whites to get things done.

But while Obama did well in his own Hyde Park base, he didn't get enough support from the surrounding black neighborhoods. [25] Starting with just 10 percent name recognition, Obama went on to get only 31 percent of the votes, losing by a more than 2-to-1 margin despite winning among white voters. [29] [30] [31] [32]

Later Senate career

After losing the primary for U.S. Congress to Bobby Rush, Obama worked to repair relations with black politicians and clergy members, telling them he bore no grudges against the victor. He also became more responsive to requests for state funding, getting money for churches and community groups in his district. Senator Trotter, then the top Democrat on the Senate Appropriations Committee, said in 2008 that he knew Obama was responding more to funding requests "because the community groups in his district stopped coming to me". [25]

In September 2001, Democrats won a lottery to redraw legislative districts that had been drawn ten years earlier by Republicans and had helped ensure ten uninterrupted years of Republican control of the Illinois Senate. [33] At the November 2002 election, the Democratic remap helped them win control of the Illinois Senate and expand their majority in the Illinois House to work with the first Democratic Illinois governor in 26 years. [34] [35]

In January 2003, Obama became chairman of the Health and Human Services Committee, after six years on the committee and four years as its minority spokesman. The new Democratic majority allowed Obama to write and help pass more legislation than in previous years. He sponsored successful efforts to expand children's health care, create a plan to provide equal health care access for all Illinois residents, and create a "Hospital Report Card" system, and worker's rights laws that protected whistleblowers, domestic violence victims, equal pay for women, and overtime pay. [26]

His most public accomplishment was a bill requiring police to videotape interrogations and confessions in potential death penalty cases. Obama was willing to listen to Republicans and police organizations and negotiate compromises to get the law passed. [36] That helped him develop a reputation as a pragmatist able to work with various sides of an issue. [25] Obama also led the passage of a law to monitor racial profiling by requiring police to record the race of drivers they stopped. [37] [38]

In February 2002, Obama introduced SB 1789, which would have adopted instant-runoff voting (IRV) for congressional and state primary elections in Illinois and authorized IRV for local elections, although it did not ultimately pass. [39] He resigned from the Illinois Senate in November 2004 following his election to the U.S. Senate. [40]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jesse Jackson Jr.</span> American politician (born 1965)

Jesse Louis Jackson Jr. is an American politician. He served as the U.S. representative from Illinois's 2nd congressional district from 1995 until his resignation in 2012. A member of the Democratic Party, he is the son of activist and former presidential candidate Jesse Jackson and, prior to his career in elected office, worked for his father in both the elder Jackson's 1984 presidential campaign and his social justice, civil rights and political activism organization, Operation PUSH. Jackson's wife, Sandi Jackson, served on the Chicago City Council. He served as a national co-chairman of the 2008 Barack Obama presidential campaign. Jackson established a consistent liberal record on both social and fiscal issues, and he has co-authored books on civil rights and personal finance.

<i>Dreams from My Father</i> Book by Barack Obama

Dreams from My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance (1995) is a memoir by Barack Obama that explores the events of his early years in Honolulu and Chicago until his entry into Harvard Law School in 1988. Obama originally published his memoir in 1995, when he was starting his political campaign for the Illinois Senate.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kwame Raoul</span> American politician

Kwame Raoul is an American lawyer and politician who has been the 42nd Attorney General of Illinois since 2019. He is a member of the Democratic Party.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2004 United States Senate election in Illinois</span>

The 2004 United States Senate election in Illinois was held on November 2, 2004. Incumbent Republican Senator Peter Fitzgerald decided to retire after one term. The Democratic and Republican primary elections were held in March, which included a total of 15 candidates who combined to spend a record total of over $60 million seeking the open seat.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Toni Preckwinkle</span> American politician (born 1947)

Toni Lynn Preckwinkle is an American politician and the current County Board president in Cook County, Illinois, United States. She was elected to her first term as president of the Cook County Board of Commissioners, the executive branch of Cook County government, in November 2010, becoming the first woman elected to that position.

The Independent Voters of Illinois-Independent Precinct Organization (IVI-IPO) is an independent, not-for-profit, Illinois political organization. Often referred to by its acronym, IVI-IPO, has roots dating to 1944, when the Independent Voters of Illinois was founded. In 1979 the IVI merged with the Independent Precinct Organization- IPO was founded by Dick Simpson a few years earlier and had worked to elect him Alderman of the 44th Ward as well as other independent candidates. IPO was founded to support the best candidate for a political position regardless of party affiliation and to effect political and community change through grass roots organizing. Both organizations were and are nonpartisan. IVI states that it is "dedicated to good government activism and an idealistic vision of open, honest government in Illinois through pragmatic means that confront cynicism and corruption with equal force." The organization is organized into geographical "chapters" and, while technically a statewide organization, is concentrated in the Chicago area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2008 Illinois's 14th congressional district special election</span>

After the resignation of Republican Party United States Congressman Dennis Hastert from his Illinois's 14th congressional district seat in the United States House of Representatives on November 26, 2007, a special election was held to fill the vacancy for the remainder of the 110th United States Congress.

Alice J. Palmer was an American educator and politician who served as a member of the Illinois Senate. Known as a longtime progressive activist, Palmer represented the state's 13th Senate District from June 6, 1991, until January 8, 1997. At the time, the district spanned an economically diverse area and included the Chicago communities of Hyde Park, South Shore and Englewood.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bill Ayers 2008 presidential election controversy</span> Election campaign controversy

During the 2008 U.S. presidential campaign, controversy broke out regarding Barack Obama's relationship with Bill Ayers, a professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago, and a former leader of the Weather Underground, a radical left organization in the 1970s. Investigations by CNN, The New York Times and other news organizations concluded that Obama did not have a close relationship with Ayers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dan Seals (politician)</span> American politician

Daniel "Dan" Joseph Seals is an American business consultant and a Democratic politician from Illinois. Seals was the Democratic nominee in three campaigns to become U.S. Representative for Illinois's 10th congressional district. In 2006 and 2008, he was defeated by the incumbent Mark Kirk. In his third run, he was defeated by Republican candidate Robert Dold, on November 2, 2010, after Kirk vacated the seat to successfully run for the U.S. Senate.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Andy Martin</span> American politician

Anthony Robert Martin-Trigona, usually known as Andy Martin, is an American perennial candidate who has never been elected to office, running as both a Democrat and a Republican.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2010 United States Senate elections in Illinois</span>

The 2010 United States Senate elections in Illinois took place on November 2, 2010. There were two ballot items for the same seat: a general election, to fill the Class 3 seat beginning with the 112th United States Congress beginning on January 3, 2011, and a special election, to fill that seat for the final weeks of the 111th Congress. Roland Burris, who was appointed to fill the vacancy created by fellow Democrat Barack Obama's election to the presidency, did not run in either election.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2008 United States presidential election in Illinois</span>

The 2008 United States presidential election in Illinois took place on November 4, 2008, and was part of the 2008 United States presidential election. Voters chose 21 representatives, or electors to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2000 Illinois's 1st congressional district election</span>

The 2000 United States House of Representatives election for the 1st district in Illinois took place on November 7, 2000 to elect a representative from Illinois's 1st congressional district for the 107th United States Congress. Incumbent Democratic Representative Bobby Rush faced a primary challenge from Illinois Senator and future President Barack Obama. Rush defeated Obama 61 percent to 30 percent, with other candidates combining for the remaining nine percent. Rush later defeated his Republican opponent, Raymond Wardingley, 88 percent to 12 percent, ensuring his reelection. Subsequent to this election, Obama was elected to the Senate in 2004, and later elected President in 2008.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Illinois Senate elections of Barack Obama</span>

Barack Obama won three Illinois Senate elections. The Illinois Senate career of Barack Obama began in 1997 after his first election in 1996 to a two-year term in the Illinois Senate representing Illinois' 13th Legislative District in Chicago. He was re-elected in 1998 to a four-year term and re-elected again in 2002 to another four-year term. He resigned from the Illinois Senate in 2004 following his election to the U.S. Senate. He resigned from the U.S. Senate following his election in 2008 to become the 44th President of the United States in 2009.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2016 United States Senate election in Illinois</span>

The 2016 United States Senate election in Illinois was held on November 8, 2016, to elect a member of the United States Senate to represent the State of Illinois, concurrently with the 2016 U.S. presidential election, as well as other elections to the United States Senate in other states and elections to the United States House of Representatives and various state and local elections.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2020 United States Senate election in Illinois</span>

The 2020 United States Senate election in Illinois was held on November 3, 2020, to elect a member of the United States Senate to represent the State of Illinois, concurrently with the 2020 U.S. presidential election, as well as other elections to the United States Senate, elections to the United States House of Representatives and various state and local elections and the Illinois Fair Tax. Incumbent Democratic Senator Dick Durbin, who had been Senate Minority Whip since 2015, won reelection to a fifth term in office, defeating Republican nominee Mark Curran.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2018 Illinois Senate election</span>

The 2018 elections for the Illinois Senate took place on November 6, 2018 to elect senators from 39 of the state's 59 Senate districts to serve in the 101st General Assembly, with seats apportioned among the states based on the 2010 United States census. Under the Illinois Constitution of 1970, senators are divided into three groups, each group having a two-year term at a different part of the decade between censuses, with the rest of the decade being taken up by two four-year terms. The Democratic Party has held a majority in the Senate since 2003, and gained a net of 3 seats.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2020 Illinois House of Representatives election</span>

The 2020 elections for the Illinois House of Representatives were held on Tuesday, November 3, 2020, to elect representatives from all 118 districts. The primary election occurred on March 17, 2020. The winners of this election are currently serving in the 102nd General Assembly, with seats apportioned among the states based on the 2010 United States census. The Democratic Party has held a House majority since 1997. The inauguration of the 102nd General Assembly occurred on Wednesday January 13, 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2020 Illinois Senate election</span>

The 2020 elections for the Illinois Senate took place on November 3, 2020 to elect senators from 22 of the state's 59 Senate districts to serve in the 102nd General Assembly, with seats apportioned among the states based on the 2010 United States census. Under the Illinois Constitution of 1970, senators are divided into three groups, each group having a two-year term at a different part of the decade between censuses, with the rest of the decade being taken up by two four-year terms. The Democratic Party has held a majority in the Senate since 2003. The inauguration of the 102nd General Assembly occurred on Wednesday January 13, 2021.

References

  1. ↑ "Statement regarding Barack Obama". University of Chicago Law School. March 27, 2008. Archived from the original on June 8, 2008. Retrieved March 29, 2008.
  2. ↑ Sweet, Lynn (March 30, 2008). "No 'Professor' Obama at U. of C." Chicago Sun-Times. p. 11. Archived from the original on April 14, 2010. Retrieved April 2, 2008.
  3. ↑ Pallasch, Abdon M (February 12, 2007). "Professor Obama was a listener, students say". Chicago Sun-Times. p. 5. Archived from the original on November 2, 2008. Retrieved January 4, 2008.
  4. ↑ Kuczka, Susan (November 22, 1994). "State Sen. Palmer ponders a bid for Reynolds' 2nd District post". Chicago Tribune. p. 2. Retrieved January 23, 2009.
  5. ↑ Neal, Steve (November 25, 1994). "Palmer beats Jackson Jr. to punch". Chicago Sun-Times. p. 49. Retrieved January 23, 2009.
  6. ↑ Rhodes, Steve (May 2005). "What Does Junior Want?". Chicago Magazine . Retrieved April 24, 2008.
  7. ↑ Jackson and Watkins, p. 38.
  8. ↑ Pearson, Rick; Locin, Mitchell (September 12, 1995). "Voting set on successor to Reynolds; November 28 primary OKd; filing to begin October 2". Chicago Tribune. p. 1. Retrieved January 23, 2009.
    Knapp, Kevin (September 13, 1995). "Politicians scramble in wake of Reynolds resignation". Hyde Park Herald. p. 1. Retrieved January 23, 2009.
  9. ↑ Hardy, Thomas (June 28, 1995). "Palmer seeks to replace Reynolds; 'Pray for him, vote for me,' legislator says". Chicago Tribune. p. 3. Retrieved January 23, 2009.
  10. ↑ Strausberg, Chinta (September 19, 1995). "Harvard lawyer eyes Palmer seat". Chicago Defender. p. 3.
    Mitchell, Monica (October 4, 1995). "Hyde Parker announces run for state senate seat". Hyde Park Herald. p. 3. Archived from the original on April 22, 2012. Retrieved January 23, 2009.
    Knapp, Kevin (October 25, 1995). "Local senate race heats up". Hyde Park Herald. p. 1. Retrieved January 23, 2009.
  11. ↑ Hardy, Thomas; Rubin, Bonnie Miller (November 29, 1995). "Jesse Jackson Jr. rolls over veteran opponents". Chicago Tribune. p. 1. Retrieved January 23, 2009.
  12. ↑ De Zutter, Hank (December 8, 1995). "What makes Obama run?". Chicago Reader. p. 1. Retrieved January 23, 2009.
  13. ↑ Strausberg, Chinta (December 5, 1995). "Draft Palmer campaign launched". Chicago Defender. p. 4.
    Knapp, Kevin (December 13, 1995). "Palmer may re-enter state Senate race". Hyde Park Herald. p. 1. Retrieved January 23, 2009.
    Knapp, Kevin (December 13, 1995). "List of next year's candidates is sparse". Hyde Park Herald. p. 1. Retrieved January 23, 2009.
  14. ↑ Hardy, Thomas (December 19, 1995). "Jackson foe now wants old job back; Palmer must now battle own endorsee". Chicago Tribune. p. 3 (Metro). Retrieved January 23, 2009.
    Strausberg, Chinta (December 19, 1995). "Palmer OKs draft to run for re-election". Chicago Defender. p. 3.
    "State Senator Alice J. Palmer announces run for re-election" (PDF). South Street Journal. December 19, 1995. p. 9. Retrieved January 23, 2009.
    Knapp, Kevin (December 20, 1995). "Palmer caught in campaign draft". Hyde Park Herald. p. 1. Retrieved January 23, 2009.
    Knapp, Kevin (December 20, 1995). "Candidates file petitions for local political offices". Hyde Park Herald. p. 2. Retrieved January 23, 2009.
    Hevrdejs, Judy; Conklin, Mike (December 25, 1995). "Hevrdejs & Conklin INC. Early Christmas for Bill Melton: the gift of life". Chicago Tribune. p. 2. Retrieved January 23, 2009.
  15. ↑ Morales, Carlos (December 24, 1995). "Candidates prepare to wage battles over nominating petitions". Chicago Tribune. p. 2 (Metro). Retrieved January 23, 2009.
    Knapp, Kevin (January 3, 1996). "Candidates face petition challenges". Hyde Park Herald. p. 3. Retrieved January 23, 2009.
    Knapp, Kevin (January 10, 1996). "Petition challenges shape political ballot". Hyde Park Herald. p. 1. Retrieved January 23, 2009.
    Knapp, Kevin (January 17, 1996). "Primary ballot gets face-lift from board". Hyde Park Herald. p. 1. Retrieved January 23, 2009.
  16. 1 2 3 Knapp, Kevin (February 21, 1996). "Ex-candidates sue election board". Hyde Park Herald. p. 1. Retrieved January 23, 2009.
    Knapp, Kevin (February 28, 1996). "Court rules candidate off ballot". Hyde Park Herald. p. 1. Retrieved January 23, 2009.
    Castillo, Ruben (U.S. District Judge) (March 4, 1996). "Marc Ewell, Plaintiff, v. Board of Election Commissioners, Michael J. Hamblet, Chairman, Defendants. v. Barack Obama and Ronald Davis, Intervening Defendants. No. 96 C 823". U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, Eastern Division.{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  17. 1 2 Ryan, Nancy; Hardy, Thomas (January 18, 1996). "Sen. Palmer ends bid for re-election". Chicago Tribune. p. 6 (Metro). Retrieved January 23, 2009.
    Strausberg, Chinta (January 18, 1996). "Palmer throws in the towel; Lack of signatures forcing State Senator not to seek re-election". Chicago Defender. p. 3.
    Knapp, Kevin (January 24, 1996). "Final primary ballot takes shape". Hyde Park Herald. p. 1. Retrieved January 23, 2009.
  18. ↑ Chicago Democracy Project (2005). "Election Results for 1996 Primary Election, Illinois Senate, District 13 (Democratic Party)". Chicago Democracy Project. Retrieved January 23, 2009.
  19. ↑ "Two candidates to challenge Obama for state senate seat". Hyde Park Herald. September 25, 1996. p. 2. Retrieved January 23, 2009.
    Knapp, Kevin (October 23, 1996). "Two 'stealth candidates' on ballot in state senate race". Hyde Park Herald. p. 3. Retrieved January 23, 2009.
    Knapp, Kevin (November 13, 1996). "Election holds no surprises for local candidates". Hyde Park Herald. p. 2. Retrieved November 29, 2011.
    Chicago Democracy Project (2005). "Election Results for 1996 General Election, Illinois Senate, District 13". Chicago Democracy Project. Retrieved January 23, 2009.
  20. ↑ Illinois State Board of Elections (1998). "Ballots Cast - General Primary - 3/17/1998". Illinois State Board of Elections. Archived from the original on December 15, 2014. Retrieved January 23, 2009.
  21. ↑ Illinois State Board of Elections (1998). "Ballots Cast - General Election - 11/3/1998". Illinois State Board of Elections. Archived from the original on December 15, 2014. Retrieved January 23, 2009.
  22. ↑ Illinois State Board of Elections (2002). "Ballots Cast - General Primary - 3/19/2002". Illinois State Board of Elections. Archived from the original on December 15, 2014. Retrieved January 23, 2009.
  23. ↑ Illinois State Board of Elections (2002). "Ballots Cast - General Election - 11/5/2002". Illinois State Board of Elections. Archived from the original on December 15, 2014. Retrieved January 23, 2009.
  24. ↑ Finke, Doug; Bush, Bill (January 9, 1997). "Power sharing begins; Madigan urges school reform as Democrats take over House". The State Journal-Register. p. 1. Retrieved January 23, 2009.
  25. 1 2 3 4 Becker, Jo; Drew, Christopher (May 11, 2008). "Pragmatic politics, forged on the South Side". The New York Times. p. A1. Retrieved July 28, 2008.
  26. 1 2 "Highlights of Obama's strong record of accomplishment in the U.S. and Illinois Senate". Know the Facts. barackobama.com. January 14, 2008. Archived from the original on March 18, 2009. Retrieved September 11, 2008.
  27. 1 2 Kleine, Ted (March 17, 2000). "Is Bobby Rush in trouble?". Chicago Reader. Retrieved July 26, 2008.
  28. ↑ Osnos, Evan (February 20, 2000). "Rush could face his toughest test; 2 key state senators among primary foes". Chicago Tribune. p. 1 (Metro). Retrieved November 2, 2008.
  29. ↑ Federal Election Commission, 2000 U.S. House of Representatives Results
  30. ↑ Gonyea, Don (September 19, 2007). "Obama's loss may have aided White House bid". Morning Edition. NPR. Retrieved April 22, 2008.
  31. ↑ Scott, Janny (September 9, 2007). "A streetwise veteran schooled young Obama". The New York Times. p. A1. Retrieved April 20, 2008.
  32. ↑ McClelland, Edward (February 12, 2007). "How Obama learned to be a natural". Salon. Retrieved April 20, 2008.
  33. ↑ Pearson, Rick (September 6, 2001). "Democrats win lottery for remap; Bilandic to break deadlock on state redistricting". Chicago Tribune. p. 1. Retrieved January 18, 2009.
  34. ↑ Finke, Doug (October 21, 2002). "Democrats try to sweep state elections; Legislative control comes down to just a few contests". The State Journal-Register. p. 1. Retrieved October 17, 2008.
  35. ↑ Finke, Doug (November 6, 2002). "Democrats take charge of General Assembly". The State Journal-Register. p. 5. Retrieved October 17, 2008.
  36. ↑ Peters, Charles (January 4, 2008). "Judge him by his laws". The Washington Post. p. A21. Retrieved September 11, 2008.
  37. ↑ Scott, Janny (July 30, 2007). "In Illinois, Obama proved pragmatic and shrewd". The New York Times. p. A1. Retrieved January 14, 2008.
  38. ↑ Pearson, Rick; Long, Ray; Ray Long (May 3, 2007). "Careful steps, looking ahead". Chicago Tribune. p. 1. Archived from the original on February 16, 2008. Retrieved January 14, 2008.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  39. ↑ Record of Illinois 92nd General Assembly Bills
  40. ↑ "13th District: Barack Obama". Illinois State Senate Democrats. August 24, 2000. Archived from the original (archive) on August 24, 2000. Retrieved January 14, 2008.
Illinois Senate
Preceded by Illinois Senator from 13th district
January 8, 1997 – November 4, 2004		Succeeded by
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.