Two elder statesmen in the Democratic Party in Illinois are backing Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton for the U.S. Senate primary .

Former Congressman Bobby Rush, who represented much of the South Side of Chicago for 30 years, and former Secretary of State Jesse White, whose career spanned nearly 50 years, announced their endorsement for Stratton on Wednesday.

The backstory:

Stratton, who has served as Gov. JB Pritzker’s second-in-command since 2019, is vying for the Democratic nomination in a crowded field of high-profile candidates.

White made history as the first Black Secretary of State for Illinois and served for six terms in office, the most ever.

Rush was the co-founder of the Illinois chapter of the Black Panther Party before serving in Congress where he was key in passing the Emmet

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