Democrats Win Back Hastert's Seat

Democrat Bill Foster has won the special election in IL-14, and by a stunning margin.  

This is a red district. Former Speaker of the House Denny Hastert represented this district since 1987, winning reelection by huge margins.

This district includes the city of Dixon, which is the birthplace of Ronald Reagan.

This is a district that President Bush won twice, and in 2004 he received 56% of the vote.

The NRCC poured over $1 million here to hold onto this seat -- nearly a third of its cash on hand.

John McCain actually took time from his presidential campaign to come to Illinois and hold a fundraiser for Oberweis and formally endorse him.  

This was an important race.  Despite the inevitable spin from the GOP tonight, the fact is that Bill Foster ran in a deeply red district, against an opponent and a Republican machine that blanketed the airwaves with attack after attack.  Republicans fought tooth and nail to keep this district, and they lost.

Congratulations to Bill Foster, and to the team of dedicated volunteers both in Illinois and around the nation that pitched in to help turn this seat blue.

Barack Obama also deserves a shout out, not just for cutting an ad for Foster and helping with the GOTV effort, but also for proving that his coattails can help even a political newcomer win in a red district.      If Obama is the nominee in November, this will be a key element of building on a Democratic majority throughout the nation.

Foster will be seated soon, and will face Oberweis again in November.

For now though, Foster's win is sure to keep Republicans up at night.  As DCCC Chair Chris Van Hollen explained:

Rep. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland, chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, said a Foster victory in the "rock-ribbed" GOP district would "send a shock wave through the political system that people are absolutely fed up with the status quo."

Welcome the newest Democratic member of Congress, Representative Bill Foster!

Race tracker wiki: IL-14