3rd Congressional District Candidate: Rush Darwish

CHICAGO — Democrat Rush Darwish is running for the house seat in the 3rd Congressional District. On the ballot, you will be able to vote for one of four candidates: Darwish, Marie Newman, Charles Hughes and incumbent Dan Lipinski. You can find Darwish’s answers to the Patch candidate questionnaire below:

Rush Darwish, running for 3rd Congressional District seat.

Rush Darwish

Age (as of Election Day)

43

Town/City of Residence

Palos Hills

Office Sought

U.S. House

Party Affiliation

Democratic

Family

My wife, Aziza (41), and my sons, Adam (14) and Amir (4)

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

My wife, Aziza, works in continuing education at Olive Harvey College.

Education

College of DuPage, 1997
Illinois Center for Broadcasting, 1998

Occupation

Small business owner of a photography and videography business.

Campaign website

Rush4congress.com

None. I am a first-time candidate.

The single most pressing issue facing the 3rd Congressional District and what I intend to do about it.

The most pressing issue facing our district is the issue of lack of access to affordable healthcare. I plan to enact Medicare for all who want it – if you have insurance through your employer or your union, you can keep it. If you are uninsured, you will get covered through Medicare immediately. Public and private option are available under my plan, everyone is covered, and nobody that has coverage loses it.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

I am the only candidate running to be the Representative in IL-03 that understands what it is like to grow up in an immigrant family, to grow up working class, and to live in this country as a minority. My opponents talk a lot about representing people that may not look like them. I know what representation looks like for minority communities. It looks like me.

As a challenger, in what way has Congressman Dan Lipinski failed the community failed the 3rd District.

Dan Lipinski has failed the district by standing against women’s rights and LGBT rights, as well as failing to reach out to people of color and immigrant communities in the district. He believes he only has to represent people that look, think, and believe like him. That is the mark of a Representative who does not do their job.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform.

I believe that we need to enact a pathway to citizenship for all immigrants, except for those who have committed violent crime while here. Immigrants are what makes this country great, and they ensure that our economy functions, so it’s time to bring them out of the shadows and make them citizens.

I also pledge to fight for a better education system. As the husband of an educator, I know that our education system is failing too many of our students. I pledge to expand pre-apprenticeship programs to help train high school students for the union jobs of tomorrow, work to give teachers fair pay, and fight to help low-income and middle-income students escape loan debt. To help create the army of teachers we will need to educate our children, I also propose making college for aspiring teachers tuition-free.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

I have raised millions of dollars for kids that are affected by violence that can’t afford their own treatment by running numerous marathons. I have served on the executive board of AMVOTE PAC, which helps disenfranchised communities like mine get involved in the political process and become civically engaged. Finally, I served on Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s Transition Committee for Transportation and Infrastructure.

If you win this position, what accomplishment would make your term in office as a success?

Enacting Medicare for all who want it would be a huge success for me. I believe in universal health coverage and providing a choice when it comes to your healthcare, not one or the other.

Why should voters trust you?

Voters should trust me for one very simple reason. I am the only candidate in this race who has pledged to take zero money from PACs and special interest groups, so I am beholden only to my constituents.

What are your views on fiscal policy, government spending and the use of taxpayer dollars in the office you are seeking?

I’m a humanitarian, not a politician. I believe we should be focusing spending federal dollars on trying to get people good healthcare, economic opportunities, and reforming our immigration system so everyone has a shot at the American Dream.

Is there any reason you would not serve your full term of office, other than those of health or family?

No.

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

I am the middle-class candidate running to represent the middle-class. I believe that we need Representatives who understand what life is like for the majority of Americans, and I am the only candidate that has that experience and understanding having come from a working-class, immigrant family.