(Reuters) – U.S Representative Bobby Rush, a civil rights campaigner and Black Panther activist in the 1960s, is not seeking re-election and plans to retire at the end of the year after completing 15 terms, media reported late on Monday.
The Democratic congressman from Illinois, who is 75 and has held office since 1993, told the Chicago Sun-Times that the decision came after a conversation with his grandson, Jonathan, who wanted to learn more about his history.
The ordained minister told the newspaper he intends to stay active in his ministry and inspire younger generations using his life story and experiences.
“I don’t want my grandchildren to know me from a television news clip or something they read in a newspaper. I want them to know me on an intimate level, know something about me, and I want to know something about them. I don’t want to be a historical figure to my grandchildren,” the newspaper quoted Rush as saying.
Rush will announce his plans on Tuesday, the newspaper said.
The 29-year House veteran joins several other sitting Democrats, including Illinois Representative Cheri Bustos, who have said they will not run for re-election in the November elections. Analysts say Democrats stand a high chance of losing control of the House and possibly the Senate in a difficult political climate.
Representatives of Rush did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Rush recently disclosed on Twitter that he had tested positive for COVID-19 but was asymptomatic.
(Reporting by Anirudh Saligrama and Jahnavi Nidumolu in Bengaluru; Editing by Robert Birsel)
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