Outside the Beltway

Tammy Duckworth Defeats Tea Party Congressman Joe Walsh

Doug Mataconis · Wednesday, November 7, 2012 · 5 comments

One of the most closely watched House races in the country was in Illinois’s 8th District, which covers part of the Chicago suburbs, where outspoken and often confrontational Republican Congressman Joe Walsh was taking on Iraq War veteran Tammy Duckworth. As expected given the nature of the district that Walsh was redistricted into, Duckworth ended up winning rather easily:

In one of the nation’s most expensive, most hostile and most closely watched Congressional races, Democrat Tammy Duckworth, a disabled Iraqi War veteran, defeated Tea Party-backed Republican U.S. Rep. Joe Walsh (R-Ill.) in the northwest suburban 8th Congressional District campaign.

Duckworth declared victory shortly after 10 p.m.

“I would never have been able to do this without your incredible support,” a beaming Duckworth told more than 200 cheering supporters at her victory party at a Holiday Inn in Elk Grove Village. “You, my friends, stood with me when others tried to buy this election.”

She said she had just gotten a call from Walsh, who was “very gracious” in conceding defeat.

In her victory speech, Duckworth talked about her father, who died while she was recovering from her war wounds.

“I know he would be proud of me right now,” she said.

“I would never have been able to do this without your incredible support,” a beaming Duckworth told more than 200 cheering supporters at her victory party at a Holiday Inn in Elk Grove Village. “You, my friends, stood with me when others tried to buy this election.”

She said she had just gotten a call from Walsh, who was “very gracious” in conceding defeat.

In her victory speech, Duckworth talked about her father, who died while she was recovering from her war wounds.

“I know he would be proud of me right now,” she said.

Duckworth ended up winning 55% to 45%, a fairly decisive repudiation of a freshman Congressman who had raised the ire of many on both sides of the aisle. I can’t say that I’m unhappy to see him go.