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Republican Congressman Randy Hultgren acknowledged the defeat of rival Democrat Lauren Underwood in the much-anticipated 14th congressional election in Illinois.
With almost all votes counted, Underwood, a 32-year-old nurse from Naperville, garnered about 52 percent of the vote, with the Republican garnering about 48 percent of unofficial votes.
At Underwood's campaign party at Kane County Fairgrounds, the crowd roared and sang the song "Lauren! Lauren! Lauren! Said Underwood, apparently, as the winner.
Moments later, the junior politician, an African-American in a 86 percent white district, told supporters that they had made history.
"Look what we did," she says. "… you stood up and said that this community deserved better."
Hultgren, at his own gathering in a pub at the Bristol Golf Course, presented his congratulations.
"We have done everything we can," Hultgren said. "And that makes me happy. I feel so good in the race we have led. I would have loved to have won the race. We have not done that, but again, I am very grateful to you.
The contest to represent the traditionally Republican-dominated district in the suburban and semi-urban areas of seven counties in northeastern Illinois was of national significance as Democrats sought to take control of representatives room.
But in the end, Underwood helped the Democrats take control of the American House.
Hultgren, a Republican elected for the first time in 2010, saw House Speaker Paul Ryan travel to Spring Grove to mobilize his support. He then joined President Donald Trump on a rally scene in southern Illinois, 300 miles from his district. Trump followed with a supportive tweet on polling day.
"Congressman Randy Hultgren (R) from Illinois is doing a great job," he tweeted. "Go out and vote for Randy – Total Approval!"
Get the results of the mid-term elections in real time here »
Meanwhile, former Vice President Joe Biden played against Underwood in St. Charles and former President Barack Obama endorsed it Sunday at a rally of Democrats in Chicago.
The money that ran in the race was as big as the names. Hultgren, who raised about $ 1 million in an easy victory two years ago, has doubled this time. Underwood raised even more: his contributions reached $ 4 million and came mainly from individual donors living outside of Illinois.
Each candidate linked the election to national issues. Underwood, a nurse and former counsel to the US Department of Health and Human Services, described the success of democracy as a way to secure the Affordable Care Act and protect people with pre-existing conditions.
Hultgren, on the other hand, argued that a Republican vote would preserve the booming economy.
The political ads of each candidate were critical but not particularly aggressive compared to current standards. Underwood's ads focused on struggling families and accused Hultgren of endangering their insurance.
Underwood said in some commercials that she was suffering from heart disease that could make her ineligible for health coverage under Hultgren-supported legislation.
Hultgren's commercials focused on his efforts to reduce taxes and fight human trafficking, although the Republican National Campaign Committee ran an advertisement linking Underwood to Mike Madigan, the powerful Democrat who presided over Springfield.
Hultgren launched a late attack against Underwood's credentials. She held a press conference Monday to say that her nursing career seemed to be largely patient-focused, contrary to what she suggested in her ads.
"For me, applying as a nurse practitioner when in reality it's not what you are, or what you've done, is a real concern," he said. he declared on television. "I think voters have the right to know the truth, to know what someone has really done."
But even before the start of the press conference, the Underwood campaign had sent a rebuttal by e-mail.
"The facts are simple: I'm proud to be a registered nurse in the state of Illinois and in two other jurisdictions," said Underwood. "I specialize in public health nursing … During my clinical training and my decade of nursing experience, I spent thousands of hours working with patients."
Some election observers felt the race was running, although a late New York Times poll gave Underwood a slight advantage. Hultgren won by a margin of 19 points two years ago.
Underwood said that she did not have to deal with racism during the election campaign, but to a lot of sexism. Some voters challenged her views, she added, hinting that she did not know her business because she was not married or a mother.
Hultgren, meanwhile, is complaining that Underwood has distorted his vote in favor of repealing the Affordable Care Act. Contrary to what she said, the bill would not have allowed insurers to cancel their coverage because of pre-existing conditions, he said.
Elsewhere, US Democratic Representative Brad Schneider of Deerfield declared his victory over Republican Doug Bennett in the 10th congressional district in the northern suburbs, a seat that was hotly contested in the last election.
Schneider will be the first person to hold this position twice since Republican Mark Kirk left to run for the US Senate in 2010.
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