Democratic primary in the 8th Congressional District.
Duckworth had 66 percent of the vote to 34 percent for Raja Krishnamoorthi, a former deputy state treasurer with about 60 percent of the vote in.
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Tammy Duckworth thanks Nancy Suvarnamani, of Chicago, after speaking to supporters in Elk Grove Village, Ill., following her win in Illinois 8th Congressional District Democratic primary on March 20, 2012. Duckworth will face outspoken Republican Congressman Joe Walsh in November. (AP Photo/Daily Herald, George LeClaire) MANDATORY CREDIT, MAGS OUT, TV OUT
CHICAGO (AP) — Illinois Republicans emerged Wednesday from a combative primary in which a freshman congressman ousted a 20-year veteran and pledged to aggressively defend the party’s recent gains, despite a new congressional map that whittles the state into districts favoring Democrats.
While GOP leaders expressed confidence they could hold onto most of the seats they won in 2010 during a tea party-backed surge, Democrats eyed Illinois as a prime opportunity to inch closer to control of the U.S. House.
“Illinois is going to be absolutely pivotal to what happens in November,” said New York Rep. Steve Israel, chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.
Longtime U.S. Rep. Don Manzullo was the biggest-name casualty of Tuesday’s primary races, but his seat is almost certain to stay in Republican hands because no Democrat has declared a run in the north-central Illinois district.
U.S. Rep. Adam Kinzinger, a former Air Force pilot who received an endorsement from House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, defeated Manzullo in a nasty incumbent vs. incumbent battle.
The most high-profile fall races solidified during the primary include matchups between tea party firebrand U.S. Rep. Joe Walsh and Iraq war veteran Tammy Duckworth, longtime GOP U.S. Rep. Judy Biggert and former one-term U.S. Rep. Bill Foster and the contest for the state’s only open congressional seat.
Israel calls the election between Walsh, who has been in the national spotlight for criticizing President Barack Obama, and former U.S. Veteran Affairs Assistant Secretary Duckworth “one of the most glaring contrasts” among U.S. House races.
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Race Between Duckworth, Walsh Expected To Be Heated Campaign
It’s where the contest between Tea Party Republican Congressman Joe Walsh and former Illinois Veterans Affairs official and Democratic candidate Tammy Duckworth will be getting lots of national attention.
CBS 2’s Dana Kozlov profiles two candidates who couldn’t be more different on certain key issues in the race.
Walsh, a Tea Party favorite, carries some personal baggage. Duckworth, who lost her legs in the Iraq war, will have to win over some conservative voters in the district.
But the 8th District map was redrawn to include a large chunk of the old 6th District, where she ran in 2006 against Peter Roskam. The new 8th District only includes about 26 percent of the area Walsh currently represents.
With all those factors in play, you have to wonder how nasty this race could get.
“He’s gotta be himself, and I’ve gotta be me,” Duckworkth said.
That’s how Duckworth sums up the political battle ahead with incumbent Walsh. But Walsh doesn’t believe it will be that simple.
“I’m hopeful she’s not just gonna hide behind (political adviser) David Axelrod and some of her other Chicago Democrat advisers and really get in front of voters,” Walsh said.
It was a likely hint at the tone of things to come, as the two duke it out for votes in the northwest suburbs.
It could be a very heated campaign, but Duckworth said, “I hope that it’s not.”
Both Duckworth and Walsh said they want to stick to the issues and keep personal attacks – and personal problems – off the agenda.
But, hours after the polls closed on Tuesday, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee sent out a statement blasting Walsh’s stance on some issues and bringing up the lawsuit he’s facing for allegedly failing to pay child support.
But Walsh said he doesn’t think his personal issues will be a factor for voters.
“You know, look, I come from a lot of the same places where a lot of voters come from,” he said.
Asked how she’ll win over voters who supported a Tea Party Republican in 2010, Duckworth said, “I’m going to talk about jobs, I’m going to talk about the economy.”
Walsh said he expects the tone of the campaign “to be really passionate.”
Walsh also said he wants to debate Duckworth in front of as many voters as possible, as often as possible, beginning next month.
Duckworth’s represetatives said they look forward to several debates.
Fox Chicago News
Chicago - In the 8th Congressional District primary Raja Krishnamoorthi faced off against Tammy Duckworth in one of the biggest local races. After voting ended, Duckworth came out on top and will take on tea party Republican Joe Walsh .
While both shared the same philosophy on the issues and support the Obama administration, they differed on their varied qualifications and life experiences.
Krishnamoorthi, the president of a high-tech company, is a child of immigrants who earned both a mechanical engineering degree from Princeton and a law degree from Harvard before becoming deputy Illinois treasurer.
Duckworth, a decorated Iraq War veteran, became assistant secretary of Veterans Affairs in the Obama administration. She was aslo the Democratic nominee in the 2006 election for the U.S. House of Representatives seat in the sixth district but lost to her opponent, Representative Joe Roskam.
The Democratic primary in 8th Congressional District, which spans several northwest suburbs, was aggressive. Both candidates raised more than $1 million during the campaign season.
But Duckworth had backing from the Democratic establishment, including an endorsement from U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin.
Walsh, a one-term congressman, ran unopposed, but the Eighth District has more Democratic precincts after remapping. He congratulated Duckworth on her win and challenged her to a series of debates.
“I want to congratulate her for winning her primary, but I issued a challenge to her before we got on tonight to begin in April a series of monthly debates with me, to try and get in front of as many people as we can in this district. This is the most important election in our lives,” Walsh said.
Duckworth said she was looking forward to debating Walsh, but wanted to spend the summer talking to constituents. When pressed on whether Walsh would call that a “duck,” she said she’s not going to talk to or listen to Walsh, but instead going to focus on what constituents want.
She slammed Walsh’s support for House Republican Paul Ryan’s budget that she said “guts” Medicare and balances the budget “on the backs of seniors.”
She said constituents want someone who will listen, not be out there “shouting” at them.
Duckworth said the Eighth District is a bellwether district for rest of country, full of working families who are struggling in this economy, and she wants to work for them.
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