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Harold Washington
1st Congressional District, Illinois

[[image - Harold Washington]]

WON PRIMARY TO RUN FOR MAYOR OF CHICAGO.

Harold Washington was elected from the 1st Congressional District of Illinois to serve in the U. S. House of Representatives in 1980. As a freshman he is the 18th ranking member of the Committee on Education and Labor, the 14th ranking member of the Judiciary Committee and the 21st ranking member of the Committee on Government Operations.

Mr. Washington serves on the Judiciary Subcommittee on Civil and Constitutional Rights, which had initial jurisdiction over legislation to reauthorize the Voting Rights Act of 1965. He played a key and critical role in the successful extension of the Act which was signed into law by President Ronald Reagan on June 29, 1982. Mr. Washington also serves on the Subcommittee on Manpower and Housing.

In addition to his committee assignments, Mr. Washington is Secretary of the Congressional Black Caucus, a member of the Northeast-Midwest Congressional Coalition, the Auto Task Force and the Congressional Steel Caucus. He also serves on the Executive Board of the Federal Government Service Task Force.

After graduating from Northwestern University School of Law in 1952, Harold Washington was a practicing attorney until his appointment in 1954 as Assistant City Prosecutor for Chicago. He served for five years as Arbitrator for the Illinois Industrial Commission, and in 1965 was elected to the Illinois House of Representatives where he served Chicago's 26th District until his election to the Illinois Senate in 1977.

Mr. Washington is the founder and President of the Black Taxpayers Federation. He is also a member of the Board of Directors of the Suburban Southern Christian Leadership Conference and the Mid-South Mental Health Association.

Representative Washington is a member of the Cook County, Illinois and National Bar Associations.