Will County Gazette

Pastor Chris Butler recently attended the Will County Democrats Meet and Greet at Insulators Local 17 in Tinley Park, where he discussed his candidacy for Illinois' 1st Congressional District. 

Bulter, a moderate, noted he is a new kind of Democrat.  

"I am going to Congress to lift the voices of people in places that have been ignored for far too long," Butler said in a statement.

Butler, father to five, is senior pastor at Chicago Embassy Church Network in South Holland, according to a Chicago City report. The 1st Congressional district includes much of Cook County, the South Side of Chicago, and continues southwest to Joliet.

"The moderate Democrats believe themselves to be standing up for bipartisan ideals and demonstrating that unity is still possible in America," Butler stated in his blog article. But in reality, they have completely missed what is tearing this country apart." 

Butler previously worked on the Obama campaign, according to his website. His leadership credibility also banks on his other efforts, such as when he organized churches against violent crime as a member of the Chicago Peace Campaign. He's also worked for school choice advocates A+ Illinois and New Schools for Chicago as an organizer. He also operates a public affairs consulting firm.

He noted that new Democrats would move the party toward being a "big tent."

"This kind of leadership would probably help Dems win more elections," he said. "But, I think it would do something more significant. It would begin to create a space in America where people can be different, but not divided; where unity in these United States could at least have a fighting chance. And that's bigger than just a political party. In the present moment, it's what our nation needs."

Butler is one of 21 candidates hoping to succeed Bobby Rush, the notorious former Black Panther. Rush has been in office since 1993.