Bobby Rush Meets with Southland Officials

U.S. Rep. Bobby Rush, the longtime South Side Chicago mainstay whose district was recently expanded all the way from Englewood to Elwood, made a visit to the  on Thursday to discuss pipelines and offer a taste of cooperation to come.

“This is a forerunner of what I plan to do,” Rush said.

Rush met with local leaders including Will County Executive Lawrence Walsh, State's Attorney Jim Glasgow, Mokena Mayor Joe Werner, Frankfort Mayor Jim Holland and Tinley Park Mayor Ed Zabrocki in a closed-door informational meeting to discuss pipelines running through the district.

State's Attorney's Office spokesman Chuck Pelkie said Glasgow invited Rush due to his prominent role on the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.

In the recent redistricting pushed by Democratic lawmakers, . Previously, the district's western edge was in Tinley Park.

Rep. Dan Lipinski's 3rd District moved into much of what had been Rep. Judy Biggert's 13th District.

Gov. Pat Quinn signed the map into law in June, but .

Although his district has never extended this far west, Rush said his familiarity with Illinois and with Congress will help the area despite its distance from his power base.

"I've always represented the suburban area," he said. "This is not my first time being in Frankfort."

Correction: An earlier version of this story stated Lipinski had been invited to Thursday's meeting. Lipinski has been involved in separate pipeline talks with local leaders. Patch regrets the error.

Read "Hickey Funeral Co-Owner Mulls Congressional Run Against Bobby Rush" to learn about a possible challenge.