Amara Enyia, the executive director of the Austin Chamber of Commerce, has created an exploratory committee to consider running for the 7th District seat now held by U.S. Rep. Danny Davis.
Enyia – who earned a PhD in education policy and a law degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign ran unsuccessfully ran for mayor last year – told the Austin Weekly News now is the “right time.”
“We have an opportunity to do some really bold and exciting things in the district … Congressman Davis has had a long career and served the people of the 7th District, and I can’t take anything away from that; but we’ve got to move into the future and can’t be stuck in the past. Just looking around the community, it’s clear we have to demand more from our leadership.”
Davis, who’s served in Congress since 1996 and was a Cook County commissioner and Chicago alderman before that, announced his re-election campaign over Labor Day weekend.
During that campaign announcement, Davis told supporters his seasoned leadership was needed because of the dire problems the country and world face.
Last week, Chicago Sun-Times columnist Laura Washington wrote about Amara’s bid, noting the 32-year-old is not standing on tippy toes waiting to grab the torch that will never come.
“There are at least two generations of dozens of ambitious and talented men and women who would bring fresh, creative new leadership to communities in great need.
“But they will sit on their hands. And wait. Their. Turn.”