State senator throws hat in ring for Jackson Jr. House seat

Illinois state Sen. Toi Hutchinson (D) will run for former Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr.'s (D-Ill.) old seat, adding her name to a quickly growing list of candidates in the heavily Democratic district.

"Families in the south suburbs and the southside deserve a representative who understands their concerns and who will work alongside President Obama to create new jobs, rebuild our roads and schools, and protect the gains we've made on equal pay, health care and civil rights," she said in a statement announcing her bid.

Hutchinson, who represents the suburban part of a district that stretches from Chicago's South Side, will face former Rep. Debbie Halvorson (D-Ill.), whom she used to work for and replaced in the state Senate.

Other Democrats who've announced bids for the seat include former Rep. Mel Reynolds (D-Ill.), who left Congress in the 1990s after a series of scandals, as well as former NFL linebacker and state Sen. Napoleon Harris (D) and Chicago Alderman Anthony Beale (D).

The primary election will take place in late February.

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