Former U.S. Rep. Melissa Bean won Tuesday’s Democratic primary to succeed outgoing Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi in the 8th Congressional District in the northwest suburbs.
“Tonight we begin the work necessary to take our democracy back into our own hands,” Bean said as she declared victory.
The Associated Press declared Bean, who served three terms in the seat before being ousted in 2010, the Democratic victor. With 93% of the estimated vote counted, Bean led all candidates with 32%.
The AP also called the Republican primary in favor of Jennifer Davis, who with 77% of the estimated vote counted had 52%.
The Democratic field included former progressive candidate Junaid Ahmed, U.S. Army Judge Advocate Dan Tully, Cook County Commissioner Kevin Morrison, Hanover Park Trustee and former Krishnamoorthi aide Yasmeen Bankole, businessman Neil Khot, small business owner and educator Sanjyot Dunung and former U.S. Department of Justice counterterrorism worker Ryan Vetticad.
Ahmed trailed Bean with 27% of the vote, followed by Tully with 13%, Bankole with 10%, Morrison with 9%, Khot with 7%, Dunung with 2% and Vetticad with 1%.
In the Republican race, Davis was trailed by Mark Rice with 40%, and Kevin Ake and Herbert Hebein with about 4% each.
In a celebratory speech, Bean thanked voters, supporters and her family members.
“Tonight the voters have spoken. And while I’ve been honored to serve as your voice in Congress before, I’m humbled that you’ve placed your confidence in me again,” she said, eliciting cheers from a crowd of roughly three dozen. “Tonight we begin the work necessary to take our democracy back into our own hands.”
Bean’s speech largely focused on challenging the Trump administration, criticizing its severe immigration crackdown, economic policies and targeting of protesters.
“The Democratic Party is a big tent with a deep bench,” she said. “So I was not alone on this campaign trail calling out the chaos, the corruption and the cruelty of this administration.”
She said Democrats share a simple goal “that government can and should serve the people who elected them and make life a little bit better for everyone,” and added that no one can take democracy for granted.
“I’ve spoken to too many young people who don’t believe the American dream is even real,” she said. “You’ve told me you don’t feel hopeful about your future. Will you ever pay down your college debt? Will you ever move out of your parents’ homes? Will you ever be able to afford health care?”
Bean asked the crowd if “we the people” are OK with that.
“No,” everyone shouted in unison.
“It’s time for Congress to listen to your concerns and invest in your future,” she said. “We can make the American dream attainable for all Americans. Affordable health care, housing and higher education.”
Bean also lamented that American values including freedom of speech, freedom of the press and due process “have all been trampled on.”
She rebuked Congress for allowing President Donald Trump and the executive branch unchecked power.
“And what are we the people demanding? Not very much. Just that Congress do their job and serve the people.”
Davis, who founded a tech company with her husband, is a political outsider, having never previously run for or held office.
She promised to cut red tape, champion small businesses, and support families with commonsense solutions. She said a key campaign issue will be fighting the skyrocketing costs of health care and living.
She raised $620,000 for the primary, a fraction of the amount spent on Bean, but said her 137 volunteers will help her overcome any deficit.
“The way you overcome that is in your ground game and bringing the grassroots movement with me,” she said, “and being very strategic where you spend your money.”
Bean foreshadowed a Democratic takeover of the suburbs when she defeated 35-year Republican incumbent Phil Crane in 2004. In office, she helped write provisions of the Dodd-Frank Act, which limited risky bank investments following the 2008 financial crisis, and which created the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
She narrowly lost the seat to Republican Joe Walsh in a red wave, a defeat she blamed on her vote to help create the Affordable Care Act, known as Obamacare.
After that, Bean went to work in the financial sector for JPMorganChase and as CEO and president of Mesirow Wealth Advisors.
She said part of her motivation for returning to politics was to defend federal health care subsidies, some of which expired this year under the Republican Congress.
Opponents criticized Bean as being “Wall Street’s favorite Democrat,” and for dark-money ads from donors connected with the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, a lobbying group that funds pro-Israel candidates.
Ahmed, a tech entrepreneur, called for an end to military aid for Israel after its bombing of Gaza and blockade of the region, in response to Hamas killings and kidnappings in Israel.
He also called for Medicare for all and, in a common theme among the candidates, for reducing the rising cost of living.
Ahmed campaigned Tuesday outside polling places at Schaumburg High School and Schaumburg Township. He said he was encouraged by high turnout in early voting and by feedback from voters.
One concern voters raised, Ahmed said, was over the flood of commercials by outside interest groups.
“People don’t want that dark money in their elections,” he said.
The 8th District covers parts of Cook, DuPage and Kane counties, centered around Schaumburg and Elgin.
