EAST MOLINE, Ill. — It's a political rally 18 months before the next major election.
"The close race in 2020 was the result of a movement," said Esther Joy King.
About 100 supporters came to the Rust Belt in East Moline to see King officially announce she's again running for Congress in Illinois' 17th district.
"We are coming off so much momentum in 2020," King said. "We came so close to bringing better representation to the Quad Cities, this whole area of western Illinois."
King won 48 percent of the vote in the 2020 general election, losing to incumbent Cheri Bustos for the district's congressional seat.
Bustos announced in April she will not seek re-election.
King is now running for that seat again, at a time when it is unclear what the congressional district will look like, since Illinois lost a congressional seat after the 2020 census.
"2022 will be our fight," King said.
Under Illinois law, new political lines, including congressional districts, must be set by June 30. If lawmakers do not meet that deadline, a legislative redistricting commission must decide the boundaries by August 10.
You can read more about the redistricting law here.
"You're never fighting the same battle twice," King said. "So this is certainly going to be different but the mission remains the same."
For King, a campaign she started in 2020 will now continue for another 18 months.
In response to the King campaign announcing her candidacy, the Rock Island County Democratic Chair, Mike Halpin, released this statement:
"Rock Island County Democrats, who look forward to running on a strong record of jobs and justice in 2022, welcome her back to the race. However, Western Illinois voters rejected the tired and out-of-touch message Trump-led Republicans brought in 2020 and we are confident voters will reject this failed message again in 2022."