Republican Congressional candidate for Illinois' 14th district, Randy Hultgren, defeated incumbent, Bill Foster, by a 6 point margin in Tuesday's election. This victory, in addition to wins over Democratic incumbents in the 14th and 17th Districts and a potential upset in the 8th district, means that Illinois will now be represented by more Republicans than Democrats. TheChicago Sun Times reports about Hultgren's victory rally:
He made his way to the podium at Riverside Receptions in Geneva around 10 p.m., to deafening cheers from the standing-room-only crowd, there to celebrate several Republican wins. As he shook hands and greeted people, the crowd chanted, first “Randy! Randy!” and then “Congressman! Congressman!”
“That’s going to take a while to sink in, I think,” Hultgren said, as applause filled the room.
“I see this as the start of an incredible journey,” he said. “We’re going to continue to do everything we can to make you proud, to represent you the best we can. It’s a big job, but we can do it.”
Hultgren, 44, of Wheaton, has served in the Illinois Senate since 2007. Before that, he spent eight years in the Illinois House. He campaigned for Congress on a platform of smaller government and lower taxes, key issues throughout his political career.
Want to send a message about President Obama’s out-of-touch agenda? Let’s win some seats in his backyard. As an accomplished businessman and father of four, Randy Hultgren is committed to fighting for lower taxes and constitutional principles to get our country back on track. We can count on Randy to stand up for Illinois families and bring real accountability to Washington. Please visit Randy’s website at www.hultgrenforcongress.com and follow him on Facebook and Twitter.
Hultgren is an Illinois State Senator who has experience in the Illinois House and the DuPage County Board and is running for Congress in Illinois' 14th District. During his time in state government, Hultgren has been instrumental in passing medical malpractice reform, freezing property taxes for disabled veterans, protecting elderly consumers from fraud,and, much like Governor Palin, passing legislation that would put the state's financial records online leading to increased governmental transparency.
Hultgren's race against the incumbent Democrat is one of three races in Illinois where the Republican has the real potential to defeat the Democrat. Another such race involves fellow Palin endorsee, Adam Kinzinger.If these three GOP candidates win their races, the liberal bastion of Illinois will have more Republican Congressmen than Democrats!
Hultgren stands for the elimination of the death tax, lowering energy costs, and reducing taxes on small businesses. His economic plan involves freeing up private capital to create jobs. He stands strongly with veterans and has the endorsement of several pro-life organizations.
Below is a video of Hultgren speaking about common sense at an event earlier this month with Illinois GOP gubernatorial candidate, Bill Brady, in President Reagan's hometown of Dixon, Illinois:
As a small business owner, Greg Hopkins is frustrated by the nation’s sour economy and torn on how to vote in November.
Two years ago, he was among the voters who helped Democrat Debbie Halvorson win a seat in Congress from a traditionally Republican district southwest of Chicago. But Hopkins is unhappy with the results, particularly watching banks get a bailout while he struggled to find financing for his business.
“People are looking for a change that has been promised that didn’t come,” he said at his New Lenox store, A Cozy Fireplace.
Now Hopkins is thinking about voting for Halvorson’s challenger, a little-known Air Force pilot who has Sarah Palin’s endorsement.
Halvorson, along with Democrats in two other Illinois congressional districts, is fighting for survival against a wave of voter frustration. Republicans hope to capture the majority of Illinois seats for the first time in seven years, helping the national GOP win control of the U.S. House.
Polls, intensifying Tea Party presence and an anti-Democrat national mood suggest it’s possible. “It’s an important message to send to Obama: ’Here are some seats we’re going to take back that are right in your backyard,”’ said Tom Erickson, a National Republican Congressional Committee spokesman. “The failures of your administration are going to help take these seats back.”
Halvorson’s 11th District, which stretches from Chicago’s south suburbs to Bloomington, may be the Republicans’ chief target. Another is the 14th in Chicago’s western suburbs, where Rep. Bill Foster holds a seat once held by House Speaker Denny Hastert.
Finally, Republicans think they have a chance to defeat Rep. Phil Hare in the 17th, a sprawling district that includes both farm areas and small industrial cities like Decatur.
If Republicans take all three and no other seats change parties, the GOP would end up with 10 of Illinois’ 19 House seats.
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Halvorson got a whopping 58 percent that year, compared to 35 percent for her GOP opponent. Things aren’t looking so good for her now.
Political analysts say the district is likely to go Republican. Her challenger, 32-year-old Adam Kinzinger, has backing from Palin and tea party groups.
“People are pretty frustrated in this district,” said Glenn Nixon, 40, a police officer who lives in Bourbonnais and is involved in the tea party movement. “Adam is sincere in his drive to serve America. He’s not going to kowtow. He’s going to make the hard decisions.”
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The Democrats have tried to paint Republican candidates as extreme by calling attention to the unpopular ideas espoused by groups endorsing the challengers. Maybe Kinzinger wants to privatize Social Security, Halvorson suggests. Maybe Republican Bobby Schilling wants to eliminate the minimum wage, says Hare.
Hare won his seat in 2006 after Lane Evans retired, then he ran unopposed in 2008.
But that comfort level has been shaken, prompting Hare to run his first television ad in nearly four years. The Washington veteran’s ad scolds Washington for shipping American jobs overseas and accuses his opponent of backing trade deals and corporate tax breaks that would hurt workers further.
The challenger has targeted Hare’s vote for health care reform and his support for using an Illinois prison to house Guantanamo detainees, among other things. Schilling, who owns a pizzeria, said his focus is balancing the budget. He’s also pledged to reject any pay raises, use his own health insurance and serve only eight years.
“I’m not one of those Washington insiders,” he said. “People are looking for a clean break.” Like Hare, Foster sometimes sounds like the challenger, not the incumbent.
He voted against a Democratic budget and cap-and-trade-legislation. The physicist calls his opponent, state Sen. Randy Hultgren, a “career politician” and argues Hultgren’s work for an investment firm contributed to the national collapse of housing values.
Hultgren rejects those allegations and accuses Foster of not being visible in the district. “He’s not there listening to people,” said Hultgren.
Adam Kinzinger, candidate for the 11th District, has been covered on C4C on multiple occasions. See here, here, here, here, here, and here.
Bobby Schilling, candidate for the 17th District, has also been covered. See here and here.
Let's meet Randy Hultgren, candidate for the 14th District. Hultgren currently is serving the Illinois state senate. He has the endorsement of several pro-life and pro second amendment groups as well as backing from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. You can read more about Senator Hultgren here. His first election ad is displayed below.
