Congressman Davis Reflects On His Terms In Office

Congressman Danny K. Davis Il, 7th Congressional District
Congressman Danny K. Davis Il, 7th Congressional District

Congressman Davis Reflects On His Terms In Office

By Tia Carol Jones

United States Congressman Danny K. Davis, D. Dist. 7, recently announced that he will not run for re-election at the end of his 15th term in 2027. Elected officials that currently hold office have announced their plans to run for his vacant seat.

Davis said he initially got into politics after becoming a community activist and chaired a committee to find a candidate to run for Alderman. When they couldn’t find anyone to run, Davis ran for the office. Davis first took office in 1979 as the 29th Ward Alderman. Public policy decision making became his way of life. The more he got involved in it, the more he became aware of how to do it and the more he understood that people have a citizenship responsibility to help decide what goes on in the country.

Davis said the post he liked the best was serving as Alderman. Because he had an opportunity to really be close to the people. He said the work that he’s done that he’s most proud of is his work with the Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHC) to help them grow from 10 to 1,400. He said that politics has always existed and all of the things in the Bible relate to politics.

“I maintain that whenever two people interact that some political things are happening, and if two people agree with each other all the time, then one of them is unnecessary,” he said.

He said that in his last 30 years as an elected official, politics has not really changed, but the processes of getting people elected and making decisions has changed and there is more emphasis on broad public information than there used to be. He said that while politics has gone on, voter turnout is low in the Black communities in Chicago and other places across the country. He said the reason for low voter turnout is that people don’t see voting as their responsibility and they aren’t being taught that as a citizen, they have rights, as well as a responsibility.

A native of Arkansas, Davis said he decided to not run for re-election after his 15th term because he believed the time was right for the 7th congressional district to get a younger African American person to be in office who will rise up and take opposition to some of the policies that are being rolled back. He said that not seeking re-election does not mean he has retired, for him, it means that he won’t have a title.

“As long as there’s breath in my body, I’m going to be trying to, whatever way that I can, to help make the world a better place in which to live and that means knowing policy positions, advocating for things, trying to get whom I think to be the best people put in office,” he said.

Davis has endorsed Illinois State Representative LaShawn K. Ford. He said Ford has more legislative experience than any of the others who have said they wanted to run once the seat is vacant. Davis said that Ford is the only one who has been able to pass statewide legislation that applies to all the people in the state of Illinois.

“I really want a person who the people can identify with. He’s had the most political experience, he’s been a state rep. for eight terms, so he’s worked at this business, he’s debated on the floor, he understands that. He’s also had the experiences of most people in the district,” he said.

Davis said that Ford understands how legislation affects people, and he relates directly to the constituents who need the most help. He said it takes time to build up seniority. Davis is on the Ways and Mean Committee, the Subcommittee on Health and a ranking member on the Subcommittee on Work and Welfare. Davis is aware of the criticism his endorsement of Ford has drawn.

He said he did two polls that 1,100 people participated in, and he has Ask the Congressman meetings. He said while he wasn’t able to speak with all of his constituents, he was able to engage with as many as he could, Ford came out ahead, which indicated to him that he was the one Davis should support. Because he believes strongly in democracy, he makes it a point to talk to people. He said people have said to him that he made a good choice in his endorsement.

Davis said that he believes he has done a decent job as a Congressman and a good job as a public official, which is why people continued to elect him to office. He said he appreciates people acknowledging the work he has done. He said his constituents know he is approachable.

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