Melissa Luburich Bean (62) is the first Serbian woman elected to the US Congress, and she was elected three times, making her the most successful woman of our origin in American politics. She spent 6 years in Congress, between 2005 and 2011, after which she retired from politics and dedicated herself to family and business.
Now, this lady born in a Chicago suburb is returning to the political arena, again as a candidate in the 8th Congressional District in Illinois, in the elections being held in November of this year.
And judging by the enthusiasm and energy with which she presented her program today at the Serbian club-restaurant “220 Venue” in Chicago – there is a great chance that the Serbian community will again have one of its own in the American Congress!
When she first won the elections in 2004, Melissa, as a member of the Democratic Party, was an absolute outsider, given that her 8th District in the state of Illinois was considered dominantly Republican.
In this regard, we asked her if she is preparing a new surprise for this year’s elections…
-The situation has changed in the meantime, now Democrats in my area have more voters, so I hope that with their help and, of course, the support of my Serbian community, which is numerous in my district, I will manage to win the elections and again be the representative of my people in Washington, where all major political decisions are made, emphasized Melissa Luburich Bean for Serbian Times (read and watch the full interview soon on the Serbian Times website and the Serbian News USA YouTube channel!)
In front of numerous guests, representatives of several generations of Serbian immigration, Melissa showed political but also culinary skills, as she served the guests two types of pie, spinach pie and cheese pie, which she personally made.
If the applause with which the guests at her promotion accepted her ideas is any indication, as well as the speed with which they emptied the platters of her specialties, a successful political autumn lies ahead for Melissa!
Author / Photo / Video: Antonije Kovačević