South Side, CHICAGO (December 3, 2012) – Nationally-renowned political commentator and community advocate Lenny McAllister announced today that he will run for the seat in Illinois’ 2nd Congressional District currently vacant after the resignation of Congressman Jesse Jackson, Jr. McAllister calls for the people of the district to look beyond career politicians and accept a candidate who can reach across the aisle for bipartisan accountability and accessibility.

“The Second Congressional District – like much of America – finds itself at a set of critical crossroads. In this time of economic crisis, political upheaval, community endangerment, and partisan gridlock, the constituents need leadership beyond limiting labels,” said McAllister.

McAllister is a noted public speaker and activist that is well known for being outspoken against both political parties on key issues over recent years on local, state, national, and international platforms. Known throughout grassroots circles in the Chicagoland and throughout the nation, McAllister has been instrumental in efforts that included shaping laws with local leaders that further protect domestic violence victims and standing along with the NAACP to oppose recent discriminatory voter laws, including the Pennsylvania mandate that was overturned before the 2012 presidential election.

McAllister, who is finishing up post-election meetings in Washington, DC before returning to Chicago, recently provided analysis on the 2012 elections for multiple local, national and international outlets over the past four months including WBEZ in Chicago, Vocalo Radio, WGN, BET, CNN, HLN, Radio New Zealand, Canadian Broadcast Corporation, and Sun News Network (in Canada). He was also featured on a bus tour with liberal-leaning Politic365 throughout Florida and North Carolina to talk with college students about the 2012 election. He finished up the election season touring the swing state of Virginia.

The McAllister family resided along the 2nd District border in Hyde Park during their time in Chicago, and will likely move closer into the district.

“I enjoy being within the pulse of the south side, so I am quite attached to this area and regularly walking the streets and riding CTA with my neighbors and friends throughout the northern part of the district,” McAllister said. “However, being more centralized provides value, too, so I’ll talk to my wife and we’ll make a family decision that allows me to have a presence throughout the district as well.”

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Lenny McAllister on announcing his candidacy for Illinois’ 2nd Congressional District:

“The Second Congressional District – like much of America – finds itself at a set of critical crossroads. In this time of economic crisis, political upheaval, community endangerment, and partisan gridlock, the constituents of the Second Congressional District need leadership beyond limiting labels.

The diverse people of the Second Congressional District, from conservative Kankakee County to the proud people of the South Side of Chicago that I regularly called family as a member of WVON, demand and deserve a true statesman that connects with and serves the full diversity within the district, not more career politicians that will only pander to their special interests and machine agendas. These hard-working Americans require a representative that has a record at the local, national, and international levels of advocating for justice, holding all sides accountable for the sake of improving communities within the Second District and America across our rich diversity, even when it is unpopular, uncomfortable, or unwise from a selfish perspective. After all, justice, prosperity, and advancement are selfless and have no partisan labels or no permanent allies. They only have permanent goals for a better future for us all. Therefore, it’s time for bipartisan accountability and accessibility. It’s finally time for well-rounded results for the constituents of the district moving forward.

“That is why, as the only candidate capable of uniting and serving the full diversity of the Second Congressional District as “One Big Team” (our campaign slogan), I announce my candidacy to become the next Congressman to represent the fine people of the Second Congressional District of Illinois. With my diverse team of community members, talented professionals, and political veterans already on-board for this campaign, we stand ready to serve the people of the Second Congressional District in a manner that befits the best of our aspirations as Americans in the 21st century.

“You know me. I am one of you. I have shared regularly how much I love you all as a child of God, a Black man in America, and a proud citizen of these United States. I have spoken up for those that often do not have a voice in America regardless of their demographic backgrounds, even when politics as usual remained silent or toxic.

Today, I am humbled and show my love through potentially serving my fellow Americans in Congress. Like you and like America, I understand the need for the people of the Second Congressional District to get through a difficult first act in this century, one marred by the aftermath of September 11, political divisiveness, and the Great Recession. Like you, I know that once we collectively move past this first act, the Second Act for us all promises prosperity, safety, and advancement inclusively.

“I assure you: the Democratic Machine is willing to say and do anything to win this seat in the special election, a seat they inaccurately believe belongs to them. However, because I love the people of this district and Americans across our rich diversity, at this unique time in our nation’s political history, I am willing to go through anything that they will do in order to preserve a seat that we rightfully know belongs to you. You, the people of the Second Congressional District in Illinois, are hard-working, passionate Americans. You simply seek to succeed moving forward in a Second Act of prosperity that leads us past the prior act of economic upheaval, community instability, and professional and personal disappointments we encountered during past and current turbulent times. It is time to work together, succeed together, and improve our communities together.”

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Lenny for Congress

CONTACTS:

Ameerah Palacios, Publicist: publicrelations@lennymcallister.com

Phone: (773) 492-0509

On Twitter:

@lennymcallister

#OneBigTeam – Lenny for Congress campaign hashtag

On Facebook:

www.facebook.com/lennymcallister