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Melissa Bean, a former congresswoman who represented Illinois’ 8th Congressional District more than a decade ago, won Tuesday’s primary election to fill the seat of Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, D-Ill., who is running for Senate.
Bean entered Tuesday with a reported benefit of more than $1 million in fundraising for the primary school in the district, a zigzag area that straddles the Chicago Democrat’s Cook, Kane and DuPage counties west of the city.
Bean last represented the district from 2005 to 2011, when he was upset during the Tea Party as a representative. Joe Walsh — one of the GOP’s biggest critics of President Donald Trump — won by less than half a percentage point.
Walsh ended up losing to Now-Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., who was also replaced by Krishnamoorthi, a native of New Delhi, India.
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Krishnamoorthi hopes to be the latest member of parliament to be elected in the district, as he seeks to replace the main leader of the Land of Lincoln Democratic, Sen. Richard Durbin.
Before Bean’s first tenure, Republican Phil Crane had held this seat since 1969, and before him, the future Bush Pentagon chief Donald Rumsfeld – reflecting the disillusionment of the political left in the Chicago area in recent years.
IT consultant Junaid Ahmed faced off against Bean and other candidates in Tuesday’s race, running on a progressive platform.
Ahmed’s platform included “recognizing Palestinian independence and ending Israel’s occupation of Gaza and the West Bank,” according to CBS News, as well as expanding Medicaid, investing in green energy and canceling student loan debt.
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Senior member Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, D-Ill., speaks during a House Select Committee hearing on anti-China on Capitol Hill in Washington on Feb. 28, 2023. (Alex Brandon/AP)
Candidate and former Krishnamoorthi aide Yasmeen Bankole endorsed Durbin. Bankole is currently a village trustee in Highland Park, Illinois, and supports a Medicare-for-all plan, rolling back President Donald Trump’s tariffs and raising the minimum wage, according to the outlet.
Other entrants in the race include business magnate Sanjyot Dunung, activist Neil Khot, Cook County Commissioner Kevin Morrison, military JAG officer Dan Tully and former DOJ counterterrorism officer Ryan Vetticad.
Voting booths are set up inside the polling station on Election Day. (Paul Richards/AFP)
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The Democratic winner is expected to gain moderate favor in November given the current political climate of the D+5 district, and will face the eventual Republican winner.
Candidates there included accountant Kevin Ake, software company owner Jennifer Davis, retired Chicago police officer Herbert Hebein, and business executive Mark Rice.
