Rahm Emanuel For Congress

Red and blue text on white background.  Red stripe running underneath "Emanuel" and a blue star next to "Democrat For U.S. Congress".

The button pictured above was either manufactured in support of Rahm Emanuel's 2002 or 2006 bid for the 5th District Illinois House seat. Former investment banker and Clinton staffer from the mid-to-late 1990s, Emanuel jumped head first into Illinois politics when he ran as a Democrat for the 5th District House seat in 2002. The seat was formerly held by now-disgraced politician, Rod Blagojevich, who in that year successfully ran for Governor of Illinois. Emanuel's inaugural election in 2002 was the closest he had ever had, winning every election thereafter by increasingly wider margins. During his tenure in the House, Emanuel had progressively entrenched himself within the base of the Democratic Party, eventually assuming chairmanship of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) in 2006.

Upon President Obama's inauguration in 2008, Emanuel was chosen as the administration's Chief of Staff. In 2010, Emanuel announced his plans to resign as the White House's Chief of Staff in order to campaign for mayor of Chicago. Emanuel was elected as the 55th Mayor of Chicago with 55% of the vote, and was sworn in on May 11, 2011. 

This button was manufactured by the Busy Beaver Button Co.