Democratic state Sen. Willie Preston is pitching himself as a fighter for working-class families and a product of South Side struggles, hoping that message will stand out in a crowded field vying for Illinois’ 2nd Congressional District seat.

But as Preston campaigns on authenticity and lived experience in the race to represent the district that stretches from the South Side to Danville, his online past is beginning to command attention.

Just weeks before the 2020 presidential election, Preston posted a series of Facebook messages praising President Donald Trump and ridiculing Joe Biden and the Democratic Party. The posts, some laced with mild profanity, were written by Preston before he held public office as a Democrat in the state legislature.

“Go to hell Joe Biden! #TRUMP2020,” Pres

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