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Quick Hit
by Ashlee Rezin
1:07am
Wed Feb 27

Robin Kelly Wins Illinois' 2nd Congressional District Primary Election (VIDEO)

Former State Rep. Robin Kelly of Matteson has won the Illinois 2nd Congressional District's primary election Tuesday to become the Democratic nominee in the race to fill the seat left vacant by disgraced former congressman Jesse Jackson Jr.

Kelly will run in the district’s April 9 general election to replace Jackson Jr., who pled guilty last week to misusing some $750,000 in campaign funds.

With more than half of the district's 545 precincts reporting, Kelly won the special primary with 54 percent of the vote. Major contenders during Kelly’s campaign were Democratic candidates former congresswoman Debbie Halvorson and Chicago Ald. Anthony Beale (9th).

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Quick Hit
by Ellyn Fortino
10:49pm
Tue Feb 26

Halvorson Calls For Unity While Conceding In 2nd Congressional District Race

For the second time in less than a year, Democratic candidate Debbie Halvorson lost the chance to win Jesse Jackson Jr.’s former 2nd congressional district seat in today’s special election primary.

Robin Kelly won the Democratic slot to run in the district’s April 9 general election to replace Jackson Jr., who pled guilty last week to misusing some $750,000 in campaign funds.

“This is a big night for Robin,” former congresswoman Halvorson said in her concession speech at Homewood’s Balagio Restaurant.

“We’ve all been through a lot, and like good Democrats we’re all family, and we fight a lot, but at the end of the day we have to move on because things are bigger than us.”

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Quick Hit
by Matthew Blake
6:03pm
Mon Nov 12, 2012
1 comment

Despite Ballot Measures, Action Not Expected On Addressing Money In Politics

The financing of political campaigns is one area where the gap between what voter’s want and what the law of the land is appears vast.

In last week’s election, there were referenda in Illinois and across the country calling for nothing less than an amendment to the U.S. Constitution in order to overturn the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2010 Citizens United decision. Yet U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Illinois) pretty much acknowledged to Crain’s Chicago Business that Congress has no interest in passing campaign finance reform laws. Read more »