Kankakee Times

Democrat candidate for the First Congressional District Chris Butler attended the Relay for Life of Kankakee County Business Before Hours event. 

"At the kickoff event, Pastor Butler and State Sen. Patrick Joyce both won the first raffle item of the kickoff event. He joked to Sen. Joyce that the first thing he won was first place on the ballot (as his name was drawn for the top spot on the IL-1 primary ballot),” the Butler campaign said in a press release.

The stop is one of many Butler has made on his continued campaign for the seat being vacated by U.S. Rep. Bobby Rush. Butler is one of 21 contenders seeking the seat. The primary election will be held on June 28, according to Ballotpedia.

Rush, who is no longer seeking re-election, has been been in the office since 1993. His current term will end in January 2023. The First Congressional District encompasses much of Cook County, the South Side of Chicago and southwest to Joliet, the Chicago City Wire reported.

"Pastor Chris is focused on families and fighting for the hope, safety and opportunity we all desire," his campaign stated.

Butler is the senior pastor at the Chicago Embassy Church Network in South Holland and has worked with the Chicago Peace Campaign to rally churches against violent crime. He co-authored “Compassion and Conviction: The AND Campaign's Guide To Faithful Civic Engagement” with Justin Giboney and Micheal Wear.

He's also the owner of a public relations agency and a former President Barack Obama campaign staffer who has also worked on school-choice initiatives. Butler was the advocacy director at New Schools for Chicago, where "he helped expand the number of high-quality school options available for families in underserved communities like the one where he grew up."  

At an early age, Butler was able to launch his first organization, Organized Students of Chicago, according to the Chicago City Wire.