Born in Chicago, Illinois, Bradley graduated from Thornton-Harvey High School.
[1] In 1984, Bradley was the Democratic nominee for Illinois's 18th congressional district against House Minority Leader Robert H. Michel.
[2] In 1991, he made a second run for Congress in the special election to succeed Republican Congressman Edward Rell Madigan in Illinois's 15th congressional district.
Bradley defeated former Congressman Tim Lee Hall in the Democratic primary, but lost the special election to Republican state legislator Thomas W.
[3][4] In 2002, he was the Democratic nominee for the Illinois Senate, losing in the 44th district to Bill Brady.