After nearly 30 years in Congress, Democratic Rep. Danny Davis (IL) is ready to retire.
The 83-year-old, who represents a broad swathe of Chicago, announced that he will not seek a 16th term this fall. Davis broke the news at a press conference Thursday morning while joined by his family and supporters.
His decision opens up a reliably Democratic seat in the heart of one of America’s biggest and most liberal cities.
Chicago Dem retires
With a Cook Partisan Voting Index of D+34, Davis’s 7th district is the most Democratic congressional district in Illinois.
Kamala Harris won the district by 65 points in November; Davis won re-election with 83% of the vote.
The district stretches from Chicago’s western suburbs through the city’s downtown and all the way to the South Side. The heavy partisan lean of the 7th district means that the Democratic primary will determine who replaces Davis.
At least nine candidates are expected to enter the contentious primary battle, but Davis has already waded into the process by endorsing state Rep. La Shawn K. Ford, a former candidate for mayor who pled guilty to misdemeanor bank fraud in 2014.
The news of Davis’ retirement was met with an outpouring of tributes from the state’s Democrats and their affiliated interest groups, including the powerful Chicago Teacher’s Union, which called Davis an “unwavering voice for those who have been forgotten, ignored, and left behind.”
Faced age questions
Davis worked on the Chicago City Council and the Cook County Board of Commissioners before he won election to the House in 1996. He rose to a top role on the House Ways and Means Committee, which has power over tax policy.
During his long, unbroken tenure in Chicago, Davis was known as a strong advocate of the safety net, championing welfare programs like Temporary Assistance for Needy Families.
As he grew older, Davis began to face some tough primary challenges, coming within six points of losing his seat in 2022.
“I’m not running to be the quarterback for the (Chicago) Bears. I’m not running to carry the torch in the Olympics,” he told the Associated Press last year. “I’m running to use my knowledges, my expertise, my intellect.”
Three Democrats have died this year while serving in the House, fueling a debate on the age of the nation’s representatives.
Chicago’s intractable crime problem hit home for Davis in 2016, when his 15-year-old grandson was murdered in a dispute over basketball shoes.
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Author: Matthew Boose
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