March 28, 2024
Local News

Small business owner, former broadcaster launches challenge to Lipinski in 2020

A small-business owner and former broadcaster from Chicago announced he will challenge U.S. Rep. Dan Lipinski, D-Western Springs, for his seat in 2020 to represent the Illinois 3rd Congressional District.

In his campaign launch video, Rush Darwish stressed the importance of health care for all, and better economic and educational opportunities for residents.

“Here in Illinois District 3, thousands of people feel excluded, marginalized and disenfranchised,” Darwish said in the video. “I am worried. But it’s time to fight for what’s important.”

The 3rd District includes all or parts of Lockport, Romeoville, Crest Hill and Homer Glen, and stretches to the Southwest Side of Chicago.

Darwish touted his activism, including serving on the board of an organization dedicated to promoting voter registration. He volunteered for Barack Obama’s 2008 presidential campaign and served on Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s transition committee on transportation and infrastructure.

He founded his small business, Rush Productions, a multimedia production company based in Chicago, in 2006. In his campaign video, he focused on how the 2008 recession hit him and other residents of the district hard.

Lipinski has been in Congress since 2005 and has already drawn other challengers for the 2020 campaign cycle.

Alex Ortiz

Alex Ortiz

Alex Ortiz is a reporter for The Herald-News in Joliet. Originally from Romeoville, Ill., he joined The Herald-News in 2017 and mostly covers Will County government, politics, education and more. He earned his bachelor's degree at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and a master's degree from Northwestern University.