1st District Candidate wants to build future for all

Chris Butler, Senior Pastor of Chicago Embassy Church Network, is running for 1st Congressional District. Photo provided by Chris Butler.
Chris Butler, Senior Pastor of Chicago Embassy Church Network, is running for 1st Congressional District. Photo provided by Chris Butler.

 Editor’s Note: Election season is once again upon us. This year, the general election will take place on Thursday, June 28th. The Citizen Newspaper Group felt it was important to bring the candidates of the first Congressional District race in to join us as guests on Conversations with the Citizen, one to introduce them to our audience, and two to hear their views on important issues. So, we will have a candidate on the show who aspires to fill the seat made vacant by Congressman Bobby Rush who has decided not to run again.
1st District Candidate wants to build future for all

By Tia Carol Jones
Chris Butler, Senior Pastor of Chicago Embassy Church Network, is running for 1st Congressional District.

Citizen Newspaper: Why did you want to run for the 1st Congressional District?

Pastor Chris Butler: I’m running for the U.S. Congress because I believe that every person from every walk of life deserves an active, engaged advocate. I’m focused on working class families and individuals, and on fighting for the hope, safety, and opportunity we all desire.

Citizen Newspaper: What do you think makes you a viable candidate for this office?

Butler: I am uniquely poised to win this race. With a 10-month head start against the new candidates who threw their hats in the ring when Bobby Rush announced his retirement, I have been connecting with voters inside and outside the city over that time, as well as throughout my 25-year career in pastoral leadership and community organizing.

Together, we can defy the odds, defeat the status quo, and build a future that works for all of us.

Citizen Newspaper: How does your faith play into what you envision as the primary role of an elected official? How has your work with the AND Campaign shaped how you look at politics and local government?

Butler: One of the foundational tenets of my faith is called the Great Commandment. It informs us to love our neighbor. I view politics and civic engagement as an important platform for loving my neighbor. AND’s work continues to reinforce how I look at politics. I’m constantly reminded not to demonize people; even when I disagree with them and to challenge people and have tough conversations even when I agree with them on most things.

Citizen Newspaper: You registered voters as the Youth and Young Adult Coordinator on the Senate campaign for President Barack Obama. What did you learn from that experience and what are some of the ways it helped with your campaign?

Butler: I learned that getting youth and young adults involved in politics is hard work. But, after more than ten years of broken, dysfunctional democracy, this is an even more difficult task. This is a major part of why I’m running for Congress, we have to get the people back involved.

Citizen Newspaper: How have you engaged the community in the last four years?

Butler: In the last four years I have been leading the Chicago Embassy Church Network and organizing the Chicago Chapter and national infrastructure for the AND Campaign.

Citizen Newspaper: What do you think is the single most important issue in the District?

Butler: The most pressing issue in the district is the most pressing issue in the nation: economic inequality and lack of economic opportunity.

Citizen Newspaper: How important do you think transparency and communication are when it comes to the role of an elected official?

Butler: We can’t move forward without transparency. We’ve strived throughout this campaign to be up close and personal with everyone we can physically meet here in this district, and we’ve always been up front about where we stand on issues.

Citizen Newspaper: What attributes and experience do you possess that sets you apart from the other candidates?

Butler: Many of the candidates in this primary agree on almost every important policy question. The difference will come down to approach.

Our country is divided more deeply than at any time since the Civil War. Two major factors are driving this division. The first factor is economic inequality. The nation has rapidly increasing gaps in income, overall wealth, educational opportunity, and access to affordable housing and quality healthcare. The second factor is an all-consuming culture war.

I will effectively work with anyone who wants to pass policies to improve the everyday lives of everyday people, and I will boldly challenge anyone who stands in the way of that objective.  

Citizen Newspaper: Where can people go to find out more about you and your campaign?

Butler: Visit www.electchrisbutler.com.

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