Illinois state Senator Toi Hutchinson is Blue America's first congressional endorsement since the general election. She's running in a special election in IL-02 to replace Jesse Jackson, Jr. Tomorrow she'll be our live guest here at Crooks and Liars at 1pm (CT) and it would be awesome if you could come and meet her live. We have a special ActBlue page set up to help her campaign. Here's the message she sent us this morning, celebrating both the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King and the inauguration of President Barack Obama:

I think it’s wonderful that today is both the day we inaugurate President Obama for his second term in office and the day we commemorate the work of one of our greatest Americans, Martin Luther King, Jr.

For me, my grandfather’s story is how I remind myself of the progress our country has made. He started his career as a door-to-door World Book Encyclopedia salesman. He worked hard and saved his money so he would have something to leave his children. By the time he retired he’d become one of the first African American branch managers in the country. He broke ceilings, and his example inspires me every day.

This anniversary is an important time for Americans to reflect on the great progress we have made, and the great work still before us to create the kind of equal, open society we seek. We must never end our fight for equality and fairness. Over the next years we have to close the achievement gap, the wealth gap, the pay equity gap so that our communities are safe and thriving and everybody gets a chance. No matter what happens, I’m eager to be a part of that conversation.