U.S. Rep. Danny Davis, who for months contemplated giving up the congressional seat he has held since 1997 for a run at the top post in Cook County, decided Monday to seek re-election.
U.S. Rep. Danny Davis, who for months contemplated giving up the congressional seat he has held since 1997 for a run at the top post in Cook County, decided Monday to seek re-election. The Chicago Democrat had submitted candidacy petitions for both Cook County board president and his 7th congressional district post, saying he wanted to know who would be on the ballot before he made a final decision. Davis, who announced his intention to run for the Cook County post in July, waited to decide until Monday, the deadline to withdraw petitions. Davis said he and three other black candidates running for the Cook County board position would have been relying on the same voters. Those candidates are current Cook County Board President Todd Stroger, Cook County Circuit Court Clerk Dorothy Brown and Chicago Alderman Toni Preckwinkle. "I always said that if there were four candidates coming from the same political base, that it mitigated against one of those individuals being successful," Davis told The Associated Press. That sentiment has been shared by a group of prominent black ministers, including the Rev. Clay Evans and Nation of Islam Minister Louis Farrakhan, who have endorsed Stroger and asked the other black candidates to drop out. Davis said Monday that he did not leave the Cook County race because of outside pressure. At a news conference, he said he felt confident he could win the race but thought it was "politically dangerous" to run. Davis said dropping out would be his way of showing unity. "It was not easy for me to make this decision," he told reporters. "But I took the position that it was too risky." Davis said he wants to stay in Congress, especially since the health care reform bill passed the House on Saturday. His district covers downtown Chicago and some western suburbs. "The implementation of that will be great," he said. "I want to be around to help." Davis said he may endorse another candidate, but he had not made up his mind. Another Democrat, Cook County Water Reclamation District President Terry O’Brien, who is white, also has submitted a petition to run. Davis said he met with Stroger over breakfast on Sunday to talk about the race, but neither had pressured the other to drop out. Stroger said he would be seeking Davis’ support in the election. "His decision to return to Washington and continue his fight for the uninsured and under insured residents of Cook County will also be of a positive impact," he said in a statement. Davis said he also met last week with Brown, who praised Davis’ decision. "It is critical that we have his continued leadership in Congress where he can use his seniority to further push for health care for all in need," Brown said in a statement. Preckwinkle agreed. "This is great news for my campaign. Danny Davis is a progressive Democrat and he and I in the past had been competing for some of the same portions of the electorate," she said. O’Brien said he had not met with Davis. "For the betterment of government here locally, it will be a good thing," O’Brien said of Davis’ decision. Copyright 2009 The Associated Press.
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