Richard Boykin Talks About Campaign For Illinois 7th Congressional District
Richard Boykin Talks About Campaign For Illinois 7th Congressional District
By Tia Carol Jones
Richard Boykin has decided to run for the Illinois 7th Congressional District. He believes that he was born to do the job. He also believes the job was made for him. He said his whole adult life has been devoted to public service, mainly in Washington, DC.
The 7th district covers part of Chicago, as well as Broadview, Bellwood, Chicago, Forest Park, Hillside, Oak Park, La Grange Park, Maywood, River Forest, Berkeley, and Westchester. Since 1997, the district has been represented in Washington, D.C. by Danny Davis. In 2025, Davis announced that he would not seek re-election.
Boykin grew up in Englewood and always wanted to do something about the violence and injustice that was happening in the community. First, he considered going into law enforcement, then he decided that he would become a lawyer. He graduated from Chicago Vocational High School and graduated from Central State University.
In 1994, he graduated from the University of Dayton School of Law and passed the bar exam the first time. He did an LBJ Congressional Internship under United States Congressman Bobby Rush for three months. He said he enjoyed the experience and also became a Congressional Black Caucus Fellow with United States Senator Carol Mosley Braun.
In 1997, when Davis was elected to Congress, Boykin inquired about being his Chief of Staff and ended up becoming Davis’s legislative director. When the Chief of Staff transitioned out of the role, Boykin was promoted to Chief of Staff. He maintained the position for almost 10 years.
“All of the legislative accomplishments, all of the resources brought back to the district, I had a hand in,” he said. He added that as Davis’s Chief of Staff, he built relationships with people throughout the district, as well as ensuring that the constituents’ needs were being met.
When Boykin left his role as Davis’s Chief of Staff, he joined Barnes and Thornburg as a partner. He spent his time partially in Chicago and in Washington, DC, representing clients before Congress and before federal agencies. In 2014, Boykin was elected Cook County Commissioner, representing the 1st District.
As a Cook County Commissioner, Boykin boasts about being one of the commissioners who voted against the sweetened beverage tax. He also led a campaign to get rid of the sweetened beverage tax. In 2018, Boykin lost his bid for a second term as a Cook County Commissioner.
“I know that in this moment, we need someone who can go to Washington and on day one, hit the ground running. Someone who does not need training wheels, someone who understands how to get bills passed on day one,” he said.
Boykin said he understands the issues that need to be addressed, everything from budget to appropriations, oversight and investigations. He said that he has experience in those areas and that is why he knows he is the most qualified person to succeed Davis.
He said that after Davis decision not run again, losing Davis who has 30 years of experience, means that whoever takes over the position has to be an independent thinker and someone who is transformative. He said the voters need someone who will stand up to the current administration and reverse the cuts it has made to programs that are a necessity for people who live at or below the poverty level.
Boykin said he wants to ensure all the district’s constituents have their voices heard, through having regular town hall meetings. He wants to implement task forces for childcare, returning citizens and social security, because he wants all the district’s constituents to have an input. Boykin’s plan for day one includes lowering costs for housing, healthcare, childcare and groceries, as well as creation of jobs and making neighborhoods safer.
Boykin wants to take back the tariff authority and give that authority back to Congress, conduct oversight on corporate leaders and hold the federal trade commission accountable. He also wants to use federal and state tax credits to encourage companies to open businesses in disinvested communities, which could help spur job creation.
“I’ve said that we need a Marshall Plan for the west and south sides of Chicago. That means we need full economic investment from the federal government to help these communities that are vulnerable,” he said.
For more information about Richard Boykin and his campaign for Illinois’ 7th Congressional District, visit www.richardboykinforcongress.com.
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