Chicago REALTOR® Nykea Pippion McGriff announced Monday that she is running for the 1st Congressional District in Illinois as a Democrat.

Earlier this year, U.S. Rep Bobby Rush, who has held the seat for nearly 30 years, announced he would not seek re-election to the district on Chicago’s South Side. Pippion McGrifff is among more than a dozen candidates making a run for the seat. The primary election is June 28, and the general election will be Nov. 8.

Pippion McGriff, a licensed managing broker and branch vice president of Coldwell Banker Realty in Chicago, has a long history of REALTOR® political advocacy and involvement. For several years, she has served as the REALTOR® Federal Political Coordinator to Congressman Rush and is an RPAC Major Investor.

She was the first African American woman to serve as the president of the Chicago Association of REALTORS®, has served in a variety of state and national REALTOR® association leadership roles and currently serves on the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation’s (IDFPR) Real Estate Administration and Disciplinary Board.

In kicking off her campaign, Pippion McGriff said a catalyst in her decision to run for office was her desire to bring real change to the community and district, a goal she shared with her eldest son, Xavier, who was killed in 2017 in a random act of violence. She says that she, like many families in the area, know what it is like to lose a loved one to gun violence.

“I am running because I am a mom who has had to face the realities of the cruelty on our streets after losing my son to gun violence,” says Pippion McGriff. “I am running because I am a mom who has had to face incredible obstacles in our local school systems, making sure that my child has had the resources he needs to succeed. I am running because I am a real estate agent who has seen firsthand the impact the housing crisis has had on our neighborhoods. I am running because I’ve watched one local small business after another close down during this pandemic, and I know how hard we will have to fight in Congress to protect our local economies.”

If elected, Pippion McGriff says she will fight to improve public safety in communities, work to make housing more affordable, ensure that small businesses receive relief needed for economic recovery and bring home federal funds to provide grief and trauma counseling for people who have been impacted by gun violence.