Rep. Bobby Rush Becomes 24th House Democrat to Retire

Rep. Bobby Rush (D-Ill.) is the latest member of Nancy Pelosi's caucus to announce their retirement.

Rush has represented the South Side of Chicago for 15 terms. (RELATED: Senior Democrat Announces They Won't Seek Reelection)

WATCH:

Though his seat (Illinois's 1st Congressional District) isn't competitive, Democrats face strong headwinds nationally ahead of the midterms.

Most expect the party to lose control of the U.S. House.

The Chicago Sun Times' Lynn Sweet further reports:

Rush, first elected to Congress in 1992, said in an interview he intends to stay active in his ministry and find ways to use his remarkable life story — a trajectory from a 1960s radical to House member — to inspire younger generations.

SEE ALSO: Key Centrist Democrat Won't Seek Reelection

Since his first election to Congress when he toppled a Democratic incumbent in the primary, Rush, with enormous name recognition from his Black Panther days, has kept an iron grip on his 1st Congressional District, famously defeating then-state Sen. Barack Obama in the 2000 Democratic primary.

You can watch that primary debate below:

Rush, 75, has won each primary and general election by overwhelming margins in the district, anchored on Chicago's South Side and running through the city's southern suburbs.

SEE ALSO: Democrat's Retirement Reveals Golden Opportunity

Rush told me he finalized his decision not to seek another term in the last several weeks, and it came after a conversation with a grandson, Jonathan, 19, who said he wanted to hear more about his grandfather.