By Chinta Strausberg
Having served as chief of staff to U.S. Representative Danny K. Davis (D-Ill.) for nearly 10 years, attorney Richard Boykin, a former Cook County Commissioner, has launched an exploratory committee to run for the Seventh Congressional District—but only if Davis retires.
In an interview with the Chicago Crusader, Boykin said, “I did get his blessing, and he said it was OK to file my paperwork.”
Rep. Davis made it clear on Sunday, July 13, during a WVON talk show that Boykin, whom he said is “like my son,” is not running against him and that, like several other potential candidates, all Boykin is doing is convening an exploratory committee. Davis said he would make his announcement in a couple of weeks.
Boykin, who was raised in Englewood and for a time received general assistance, once lived with Rep. Davis and his wife. “I would not run against Congressman Davis. He’s my friend. We are family,” Boykin said.
Boykin was Davis’ legislative director for six months, then was promoted to chief of staff, a role he held from 1997 to 2006. He also worked three additional years for Rep. Bobby Rush.
When asked why he wants to go to Congress, Boykin said, “I know the job. I did the job for 13 years—10 years with him and three years for Rep. Bobby Rush. I know how to get things done.
“We are at a critical time in this country and can’t afford leaders who require on-the-job training. We need someone to step in right away and get things done for the Seventh Congressional District,” the 56-year-old Boykin said.
Referring to a myriad of issues affecting the district, Boykin said he has the knowledge to deal with policies such as Medicaid, Medicare, Social Security, resource allocation, and federal transit funding that has been earmarked for the district.
“I want to impact those things, and I can do that on day one. I know the halls, and I have a lot of contacts there,” said Boykin.
When asked about his agenda, Boykin said, “My agenda is the people’s agenda. The people I have spoken to want someone who will fight to restore the cuts to Medicaid and preserve Medicare and Social Security—somebody who will fight for resources.
“They want somebody who will reverse the cuts to education, someone who will stand up for their healthcare, and I am going to go and stand up for all of those things,” Boykin vowed.
Understanding the challenges he may face if he runs—especially in the wake of the trickle-down effects of Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill” Act—Boykin vowed to “fight and get that money back and help take back the House and the Senate.”
“We have to protect those safety hospitals, and I will be a big voice fighting to protect them,” he stated.
In the battle to restore the massive cuts to healthcare, Boykin said both the state and the county must step up. If the five Safety-Net hospitals close, other hospitals will be overwhelmed, and emergency rooms will face long wait times.
The five Safety-Net hospitals that serve mostly Medicaid patients are Loretto Hospital, West Suburban Medical Center, Humboldt Park Health, St. Mary of Nazareth Hospital, and Mount Sinai Hospital.
Born in Jackson, Mississippi, Boykin was raised in Englewood. He graduated from Chicago Vocational High School and accepted an athletic scholarship to Central State University in Ohio, where he made the National Dean’s List and received the President’s Award for Outstanding Academic Achievement.
Boykin graduated magna cum laude in 1990, and in 2015 Central State University inducted him into its Achievement Hall of Fame.
After graduating, Boykin taught in the Chicago Public Schools for one year before enrolling at the University of Dayton School of Law, where he earned his law degree. He has been a practicing attorney since 1994.
He also served as a Congressional Black Caucus Fellow for then-U.S. Senator Carol Moseley Braun.