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Casten, Underwood Oust GOP Incumbents in House


Democrats have regained control of the U.S. House of Representatives due in part to two congressional seats flipping in the Chicago suburbs. Democrats have so far taken 26 seats from Republicans in Tuesday’s midterm elections.

In the reliably Republican 6th Congressional District in the northwest suburbs, political neophyte Sean Casten (D-Downers Grove) defeated incumbent U.S. Rep. Peter Roskam (R-Wheaton), who was seeking a seventh term in the district once held by conservative stalwart Henry Hyde.

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“I never thought that the second coolest thing to happen this week was meeting President Obama,” Casten said during his victory speech Tuesday night. Casten won the race with 53 percent of the vote; Roskam got 47 percent.

In the west suburban 14th Congressional District, political newcomer Lauren Underwood (D-Naperville) bested incumbent U.S. Rep. Randy Hultgren (R-Plano). The 32-year-old nurse is part of a freshman class that will add more women to Congress, in addition to more people of color and members of the LGBTQ community.

“I was 30 when I launched this campaign: a regular, middle-class woman who was working full-time,” Underwood told supporters Tuesday night. “With the help of a friend, I was able to figure out how to get on the ballot, receive thousands of signatures, build a website, launch a campaign, share a message and build a movement.”

Underwood won 52 percent of the vote to Hultgren’s 48 percent.

“It is the honor of my life to be elected by my community to be their voice in the U.S. House of Representatives,” she said.

Casten joins us Wednesday to talk about his victory.


Related stories:

In 6th District, Newcomer Casten Defeats GOP Incumbent Roskam

In 14th District, Political Newcomer Underwood Defeats GOP Rep. Hultgren

Democrats Seize House Control, But Trump’s GOP Holds Senate

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