Skip to content
  • Subscribe
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Youtube
  • Instagram
  • Email
  • Home
  • News
  • Opinion
  • Entertainment
  • Features
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe to Ray’s Columns
Suburban Chicagoland

Suburban Chicagoland

Original News, Features & Opinion on Chicago, Illinois and America

  • About
    • About
    • Advertise
    • Our Writers
      • Ray Hanania
      • Bill Lipinski
      • Biography: Aaron Hanania
    • Terms of Service
    • Privacy Policy
    • Reach Out
  • Sections
    • Events
    • Opinion
    • News
    • Features
    • Seniors
    • Comic Strip
  • Library
    • “MIdnight Flight” Online Book
      • Midnight Flight Book Overview
      • Midnight Flight Introduction
      • Midnight Flight Chapter 1
      • Midnight Flight Chapter 2
      • Midnight Flight Chapter 3
      • Midnight Flight Chapter 4
      • Midnight Flight Chapter 5
      • Midnight Flight Chapter 6
      • Midnight Flight Chapter 7
      • Midnight Flight Chapter 8
      • Midnight Flight Chapter 9
      • Midnight Flight Chapter 10
      • Midnight Flight Chapter 11
      • Midnight Flight Chapter 12
      • Midnight Flight Chapter 13
    • Villages, Cities & Towns
    • Federal Office Holders
    • County Officials
    • Legislators
  • Subscribe to Ray’s Columns
  • Comment
  • Podcast
    • Ray Hanania on Politics
    • Two Guys on Politics
    • Hanania on Tiktok
  • News Wire
  • Archive 2004-2013
  • Toggle search form
  • Hastings insurance legislation
    Hastings announces legislation to ensure fair homeowners insurance rates for Illinois families Business
  • Mahnoor Ahmad campaign photo
    Mahnoor Ahmad runs for DuPage County Board seat Democrat
  • Sunday, October 26, the Village of Orland Park formally rededicated its Village Hall in honor of the late former Mayor Fredrick T. Owens
    Village of Orland Park Rededicates Village Hall in Honor of Late Former Mayor Fredrick T. Owens Government
  • Fire at townhome at 13900 block of Berkhansted Court in Orland Park, just before midnight on Monday, Oct. 27, 2025
    Firefighter treated for dehydration battling townhouse fire in Orland Park – no residents injured Fire
  • Firefighters with the Orland Fire Protection District who responded to a fire in an apartment at 15200 block of Al Camino Terrace on Saturday morning said the next day that they did find a kitten that needed respiratory aid that they saved.
    FIRE UPDATE: Fire District releases photos of kitten saved from Orland Park apartment fire Saturday Features
  • two-story apartment building on the 15200 block of El Camino Terrace in Orland Park
    Orland Park apartment fire Saturday morning, no injuries Fire
  • Illinois Senator Michael Hastings addressing the Orland Township Democratic Organization Wednesday Oct. 12, 2022
    Hastings calls for bipartisan action to protect Illinois families from SNAP benefit shutdown Baby Boomers
  • Illinios Industrial Energy Consumers, information ad
    Get information on the Illinois Energy Omnibus Bill in Springfield Business
  • State Senator Mike Porfirio secured over $20 million to support infrastructure improvements and construction in the 11th Senate District.
    Senator Porfirio applauds more than $20 million in infrastructure repairs coming to the 11th District News
  • Dad and daughter reunited Lebving Law firm photo
    Little Girl Recovered and Reunited with Dad After Long Separation Dads' Rights
  • 11-03-25 OFPD Coffee living alone
    Orland Fire hosts meeting on helping Seniors who live alone Nov. 5 Baby Boomers
  • State Senator Michael Hastings introduces law to revive long dormant and degraded Tinley Park Mental Health Center into a Sports Park for the community. Photo courtesy of the State Senate President Don Harmon
    Hastings secures $250,000 grant for Easterseals Academy’s Tinley Park campus Health
  • Chicago ranks as 161st worst city for crime in new national survey Chicago
  • Kat Abughazaleh 9th DIstrict Congress 2026 candidate democrat
    Kat Abughazaleh raises over $520,000 in Q2 of 2025 with more than $630,000 cash on hand for 2026 Democratic primary election elections
  • Silent Threat: The True Dangers of Lithium-Ion Batteries — How to Stay Safe and Respond to a Battery Fire Fire
Sarah Gad, Democratic Candidate for Congress in the 1st Congressional DIstrict in Illinois

Challenge to Congressman Bobby Rush fueled by uplifting story

Posted on February 18, 2020February 18, 2020 By Ray Hanania No Comments on Challenge to Congressman Bobby Rush fueled by uplifting story
SHARE THIS STORY
112           
 
  
112
Shares

Challenge to Congressman Bobby Rush fueled by uplifting story

A woman who was jailed for nonviolent prescription drug offenses years ago after being seriously injured when hit by a drunk driver, is challenging Congressman Bobby Rush in the March 17 Illinois Democratic Primary election for Congress in the 1st District.

By Ray Hanania

A woman who was jailed for nonviolent prescription drug offenses years ago after being seriously injured when hit by a drunk driver, is challenging Congressman Bobby Rush in the March 17 Illinois Democratic Primary election for Congress in the 1st District.

Sarah Gad, 32, is fighting to change a system she said “is designed to marginalize people” and to “rectify miscarriages of justice.” Gad is a third-year law student at the prestigious University of Chicago Law School. Her road to law school was unconventional, saying her legal education “began in a jail cell in the Cook County jail.”

After a near-fatal car accident that left her in a two-week coma, with multiple broken bones, unable to walk or speak, she became addicted to prescription painkillers. Her addiction landed her in the Cook County Jail, where she says she observed and experienced countless human rights and constitutional violations.  

Sarah Gad, Democratic Candidate for Congress in the 1st Congressional DIstrict in Illinois
Sarah Gad, Democratic Candidate for Congress in the 1st Congressional DIstrict in Illinois

“My story is by no means unique. I talk about it openly now because I want to help break the stigma that accompanies both addiction and criminalization of this disease, and because I want to shine a light on a broken system that is in desperate need of reform,” Gad said.

“While awaiting trial, under the custody of the justice system, I was sexually assaulted. When I reported it, I was labeled as a snitch. I became a target for beatings every day. When I was released, I had to have reconstructive surgery on my face.”

Gad, who is Egyptian American, said the trauma of being incarcerated made her addiction even more difficult to overcome. She says her life was a “revolving door in and out of jail” between 2013-2015. She was arrested in July of 2015 and spent five days in jail. She overdosed on the day she was released.

“It was that overdose that saved me. It wasn’t until I overdosed that I finally got the help I needed to overcome this disease,” Gad explained. 

“Addiction is a disease that does not discriminate. I found myself unable to get up out of bed without using. I felt like my personality and my brain were hijacked by these prescription drugs. I was injured and then given drugs that I became addicted to, and then went into jail with an addiction and left jail with an addiction, until that overdose.”

Listen to a recent interview with Sarah Gad by radio and podcast host Ray Hanania, or click this link to listen online.


Gad said she was in her third year of medical school when she was struck by the drunk driver and her life changed.

“I ended up doing more jail time than the driver who hit me. I was punished more severely than he was because non-violent drug offenses are treated as felonies and in a DUI conviction your first offense is treated as a misdemeanor with no jail time,” Gad said.

For a long time, Gad struggled to get back on her feet. She was left homeless and unemployed because of her record. She got a second chance when prominent attorney Kathleen Zellner offered her a temporary research position at her law firm that became permanent.

Gad began as a researcher for medical malpractice cases, but her role evolved to the law firm’s full time Forensics Director, where she was tasked with doing scientific testing for civil rights and wrongful convictions cases.

“When I started working for Zellner, I witnessed egregious miscarriages of justice,” said Gad who is now in her third year of Law School at the prestigious University of Chicago,” she told the Arab News.

“I couldn’t believe these miscarriages of justice were tolerated under the law. I decided to apply for law school to push for criminal justice reform and fix the deficiencies in our criminal justice that I experienced firsthand, but also witnessed through my work at Ms. Zellner’s law firm.”

She noted, “People become addicted to prescription drugs when they have to deal with excessive pain from traumatic injuries, and no one really does anything to help those victims.”

Gad founded and sits on the board of two successful Chicago-based nonprofits where her philanthropic work has attracted national attention. In 2019, Gad was awarded the University of Chicago Humanitarian Award for her service work and contributions to the South Side and Hyde Park communities.

“I am someone who has personally experienced many of the hardships I seek to eliminate, and this is why I am pushing so hard for change. I know what it is like to be homeless in Chicago in the middle of January. I know what it is like to be stigmatized by our system and feel hopeless.” she said.

Gad is running against Bobby Rush, who has held the congressional seat since 1993. She says she was approached to run for office by people in her community because of Rush’s high absenteeism both in the District and in Congress.

“First, I went to Washington D.C. to familiarize myself with the process and to see if I could be an effective leader in that setting,” Gad said.

According to public data, Rush, who founded the militant has the worst absentee record of any Illinois member of Congress and ranks 10th worst national out of 434 Congress members.

“I joined the Legislative Affairs team with the Drug Policy Alliance in Washington D.C. to support their effort for drug policy and reform,” Gad said.

“I had the opportunity to sit in and participate in dozens of congressional hearings, and over the course of three-and-a-half months, I didn’t see Bobby Rush once. He didn’t even show up to hearings that were hosted by his own committees.”

Gad said she was very alarmed when Bobby Rush failed to show up at a hearing about Bill H.R.40 on Proposals for Reparations.

“Our district has the highest population of American descendants of slaves, and we have severe economic imbalances that have been perpetuated since slavery and Jim Crow days and exacerbated by Tough on Crime policies,” says Gad.

“No District in the country could stand to benefit more from reparations than ours, and Bobby should have been there letting the committee know that.”

After her time in D.C., she felt both confident about capably representing the district, but also obligated.

“On many occasions, I found that I was the one speaking up on behalf of our district because no one else was. It really was a wake-up call. We don’t have a voice right now,” Gad said.

If elected, Gad would be the nation’s first formerly incarcerated woman ever elected to U.S. Congress.

For more information on Sarah Gad at SarahGad2020.com.

newswire info
  • Author
  • Recent Posts
Ray Hanania
Ray Hanania
Ray Hanania is an award-winning opinion columnist, author & former Chicago City Hall reporter (1977-1992). A veteran who served during the Vietnam War and the recipient of four SPJ Peter Lisagor Awards for column writing, Hanania writes weekly opinion columns on mainstream American & Chicagoland topics for the Southwest News-Herald, Des Plaines Valley News, the Regional News, The Reporter Newspapers, and Suburban Chicagoland.  

His award winning columns can be found at www.HANANIA.COM Subscribe FREE today

Hanania also writes about Middle East issues for the Arab News, and The Arab Daily News criticizing government policies in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Hanania was named "Best Ethnic American Columnist" by the New America Media in November 2007, and is the 2009 recipient of the SPJ National Sigma Delta Chi Award for column writing.

Email Ray Hanania at [email protected].

Follow RayHanania at Twitter
Ray Hanania
Latest posts by Ray Hanania (see all)
  • Hastings announces legislation to ensure fair homeowners insurance rates for Illinois families - October 29, 2025
  • Mahnoor Ahmad runs for DuPage County Board seat - October 29, 2025
  • Village of Orland Park Rededicates Village Hall in Honor of Late Former Mayor Fredrick T. Owens - October 29, 2025
NPV: 53
  • Tweet

SHARE THIS STORY
112           
 
  
112
Shares
 
112
Shares
 
 
 112         
Blogger, Chicago, Commentary, elections, Government, Opinion, Orland Park, Podcast, Politics, Radio, Suburban Chicagoland, Taxes Tags:1st Congressional District, 2020, Bobby Rush, Democratic primary, Egyptian American, election, March 17, Sarah Gad, victim of DUI, victim of prescription drug abuse

Post navigation

Previous Post: Marie Newman launches very effective TV Ad Campaign
Next Post: Welch to Lead Qualifications Challenge Committee

Related Posts

  • Judge Anna Demacopoulos
    Four Cook County Judges you should watch out for Blogger
  • Glenwood Ave Arts District website. http://www.glenwoodave.org
    Glenwood Ave Arts District Festival Aug 20 – 22 Chicago
  • Arts and Crafts. Photo courtesy of Emily Webster via UnSplash.com
    Cicero to host Arts & Crafts Fair in May, vendor applications  are now available Culture
  • David Moore Talks w Germaine Light. Photo courtesy of David Moore
    Secretary of State candidate David Moore receives IVI-IPO endorsement elections
  • Police Squad Car, courtesy of Wikipedia
    Alleged kidnapper caught News
  • FedEx coming to Bridgeview News

More Related Articles

Andrea Nelson, RN, and Trish Trentz, RN, surgical specialty leaders at Northwestern Medicine Palos Hospital led an initiative to achieve the AORN Go Clear Award. Northwestern Medicine Palos Hospital Recognized for Surgical Safety Program Chicago
Assault weapons, courtesy of WIkipedia National Association for Gun Rights Calls Out Illinois’ Semi-Auto Ban Lies Cook County
Winging it News
On Tuesday, May 16th, Cook County Commissioner Frank J. Aguilar joined Leyden Township officials to kick-off Commissioner Aguilar’s new Leyden Township satellite office. The event included elected officials, community organizations, and residents from throughout the 16th District. Cook County Commissioner Frank J. Aguilar Opens Satellite Office in Leyden Township Cook County
State Senator Michael Hastings introduces law to revive long dormant and degraded Tinley Park Mental Health Center into a Sports Park for the community. Photo courtesy of the State Senate President Don Harmon Hastings announces $75,000 state grant to upgrade New Lenox Township Fire Protection District communication systems Fire
Lyons arrests two carjacking suspects who were out on bond for other felony crimes Cook County

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Login with your Social ID
  • OPINION
  • Cook County Treasurer Maria Papas
    Your Mortgage Company May Pay Your Taxes — But You Still Need to Watch
    October 17, 2025
  • Mohammed Faheem The Lightning Strike Radio Show small
    The Politicization of the Nobel Peace Prize — and Trump’s Fury Over Losing Again
    October 11, 2025
  • 06-04-25 Two Guys on Politics Background Zoom LOGO with images
    Video Podcast: Trump Kimmel Kirk Great American Divide Illegal Aliens polling and Illegal Aliens and ICE
    September 20, 2025
  • Illinois House Speaker Emanuel "Chris" Welch speaking at a West Side affordable housing dedication
    Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch, one of the best candidates to become Illinois Governor
    September 7, 2025
  • Cook County Treasurer Maria Papas
    What You’re Missing on Your Property Tax Bill
    September 5, 2025
Subscribe to Ray Hanania's column graphic

Enter Your Email to Subscribe to Ray Hanania’s Columns

  • The-Kings-Pawn-Book-300-x-300.png

Mohammed Faheem The Lightning Strike Radio

  • NEWS
  • Hastings insurance legislation
    Hastings announces legislation to ensure fair homeowners insurance rates for Illinois families
    October 29, 2025
  • Mahnoor Ahmad campaign photo
    Mahnoor Ahmad runs for DuPage County Board seat
    October 29, 2025
  • Sunday, October 26, the Village of Orland Park formally rededicated its Village Hall in honor of the late former Mayor Fredrick T. Owens
    Village of Orland Park Rededicates Village Hall in Honor of Late Former Mayor Fredrick T. Owens
    October 29, 2025
  • Fire at townhome at 13900 block of Berkhansted Court in Orland Park, just before midnight on Monday, Oct. 27, 2025
    Firefighter treated for dehydration battling townhouse fire in Orland Park – no residents injured
    October 28, 2025
  • Firefighters with the Orland Fire Protection District who responded to a fire in an apartment at 15200 block of Al Camino Terrace on Saturday morning said the next day that they did find a kitten that needed respiratory aid that they saved.
    FIRE UPDATE: Fire District releases photos of kitten saved from Orland Park apartment fire Saturday
    October 26, 2025
John Kass Columns

Order the book PoweR PR; Ethnic Activists Guide to Strategic Communications

YOUTUBE VIDEOS

CLICK TO SUBSCRIBE TO RAY HANANIA'S YOUTUBE VIDEOS


Click here to view the video on YouTube or use the widget below.

Follow Ray Hanania at
Twitter
Facebook
TitkTok
BlueSky
RayHanania Columns

Creative Commons License
All works on this website is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. Do not edit original work. Give credit to the original source.

Categories

Copyright © 2022 Suburban Chicagoland & Urban Strategies Group

Powered by PressBook Premium theme