The Clergy Coalition — a group of faith-based organizations and religious leadership that supports Congressman Danny K. Davis — announced their endorsement last week for Davis in his 7th District congressional run for the primary election on March 19.
Davis is running against organizer Kina Collins, who has challenged his tenure in the last two congressional elections, and against Chicago City Treasurer Melissa Conyears-Ervin. This is the first year that two other competitors, principal Nikhil Bhatia and former Obama campaign staffer Kouri Marshall are running for the 7th District.
The Clergy Coalition has supported the incumbent in the congressional election, which happens every two years, since Davis first ran in 1996.
“Every time that he comes up for re-election, we come together and support him in those re-election efforts,” said Dr. Michael Eaddy, pastor at People’s Church of the Harvest on West 5th Avenue.
The Clergy Coalition unanimously supported Davis with 89 letters from the local church community. Other clergy backing Davis include Mildred Harris — commissioner of the Chicago Housing Authority and founder of God First Church and Ministries — and Rev. Paul Jakes, a Clergy Coalition organizer.
“The Clergy Coalition is fortunate to have a cross-section of clergy representing diverse groups across the 7th Congressional District,” Jakes said in a statement.
This coalition has worked with Davis on several of his initiatives, Eaddy said.
“One in particular that would probably coalesce all of us at an early point was something called the Second Chance Act,” Eaddy said, which “was about giving the re-entry population the kind of support they need when they are returning from the various correctional institutions back into the community.”
But the coalition’s endorsement of Davis is about much more than any specific initiative.
“A congressman brings back to a community a number of things — in areas of community and economic development, in areas of affordable housing, in areas of education, in terms of the re-entry initiatives,” Eaddy said. “We’re talking about a holistic perspective.”
The coalition’s endorsement follows a complaint submitted by constituent Tellis Parnell Sr. to the House Ethics Committee in January. The complaint claims that Davis used congressional funds to buy campaign advertising, according to a story by The Intercept. The Davis campaign has denied the allegations.
Delmarie Cobb, owner of The Publicity Works, a political consulting and media relations firm in Chicago, said she understands why the coalition has endorsed Davis, despite these accusations.
“If the perception is — and I do think he has this perception — that Danny’s a good guy and that he’s right on the issues, they may be willing to overlook that, versus someone else who they don’t really know,” Cobb said. “There are many people, because of that and because of the issues, who support him and are going to support him no matter what.”
Davis’ legislative record is tough to beat. He has served on the Cook County Board of Commissioners and was alderman of the 29th Ward before representing the 7th District for nearly three decades.
“Ranked 24th [in seniority] out of 435 members in the U.S. House of Representatives, Congressman Davis is a demonstrated leader,” Eaddy said in a statement.
“Seniority and tenure are critical,” he told Austin Weekly News. “A part of what we are doing is maintaining our gains. That’s our rally cry: Maintain the gains.”
“He is considered one of the most progressive congressmen in Congress, no matter what age,” Cobb said. She added that she thinks the Clergy Coalition has endorsed Davis because of “his legislative record and the perception that he’s a good guy and he’s going to do right by the community, working families, and definitely right by the black community.”