Obama’s advocacy work led him to run for the Illinois State Senate as a Democrat. He won the election in 1996.
Four years later, the rising Obama tried to run for the 2000 for the U. S. House of Representatives seat held by four-term incumbent candidate Bobby Rush. This would be a humbling defeat for Obama as he was crushed by the beloved Rush, a former Black Panther who was well entrenched in the city. Also, Rush’s son was murdered just prior to election day, causing an outpouring of sympathy for the elder statesman.
