Staff Reporter, The Daily Voice
- The departure of Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton from the U.S. Senate has opened up possibilities for blacks in Illinois and New York.
In Illinois, the attention has focused on Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr., who some African Americans in Chicago are pushing to replace Obama and continue a tradition of black representation from the Land of Lincoln.
Even before Obama, Carol Moseley Braun served the state as its first black senator in the 1990s. Obama followed in her footsteps and Jackson could follow in his. The decision rests with Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich, a Democrat.
Jackson is not alone in the hopes of filling Obama’s seat. Rep. Danny Davis, Illinois State Senate President Emil Jones and former Illinois Attorney General Roland Burris have also thrown their hats in the ring, according to NNPA columnist Ron Walters.
