The Democrats picked up all three seats they targeted in the suburbs and Wednesday night, those new members of congress were saying thank you.
The 8th District saw tens of millions of dollars poured in for both sides, but Iraq War veteran Tammy Duckworth took it handily, 55-45 percent over Tea Party stalwart Joe Walsh.
Duckworth says she'll set a more bipartisan tone in Washington to help the president forge new relationships with Congress, a likely prerequisite for a budget deal
"We need more bipartisanship, we need to be willing to work with each other and we need to remember it is about the people of the 8th District," Duckworth said.
Former representative Bill Foster returns to Washington after knocking off 14-year GOP incumbent Judy Biggert in the west suburban 11th district 58 to 42 percent. The scientist and businessman from Naperville lent his campaign $2.2 million late in the race, yet decried the nastiness of the fight.
"I feel exhausted, exhilarated, and very grateful to everyone that helped us along this two-year path," Foster said.
Voters in the far south suburban 16th District returned Republican Congressman Adam Kinzinger with 62 percent of the vote. The 34 year-old-was elected in the Tea Party wave of 2010 and recently earned a no-label label, a Washington award for operating in a bi-partisan fashion. He wants the president to lead on this
"Hopefully he reaches out we need to reach out as well and find areas where we find common ground and agree and ultimately realize both sides are going to have to swallow some bitter pills to get to where we need to be in this country," Kinzinger said.
That leaves Democrat Brad Schneider, the winner of the north suburban 10th District to consider. The management consultant's come-from-behind victory stunned incumbent Robert Dold and came late in the night with a one percentage-point margin.
"I've been all over this district talking to people, hearing their frustration with the gridlock in Washington, the want, the desire to send someone to Washington who will break that gridlock," Schneider said.
As far as the Illinois delegation going to Congress, it will be 12-6 Democrats over Republicans, with a Democrat turnover downstate, significantly changing the look of the Illinois delegation that will be in the federal government.
