Robin Kelly scores landslide victory in special primary

Decision 2013

Robin Kelly scores landslide victory in special primary

02/27/13
by Nancy Loo
Reporter
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The special Democratic primary for Illinois’ 2nd Congressional district ended in a landslide.

Former state representative Robin Kelly won the nomination with 51 percent of the vote.

Former Congresswoman Debbie Halvorson came in second with 23 percent.

Chicago Alderman Anthony Beale ended up in third place.

“You sent a message that was heard around our state and across the nation,” Kelly told supporters during her victory speech. “A message that tells the NRA that their days of holding our country hostage are coming to an end.”

“To every leader in the fight for gun control ready to work with President (Barack) Obama and Mayor (Rahm) Emanuel to stop this senseless violence, thank you for your leadership and thank you for your courage,” she said.

Kelly’s campaign got a boost from some campaign cash in New York.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s SuperPac, Independence USA, spent $2.2 million on ads that attacked Kelly’s opponents.

“This is an important victory for commonsense leadership on gun violence, a problem that plagues the whole nation,” said Bloomberg.

Halvorson says she supports Kelly, even though she was targeted in several advertisements.

“We all know how rough it was for me to have to run an election against someone who spent millions against me,” Halvorson said during her concession speech. “Every 7½ minutes there was a commercial.”

Kelly responded to complaints about the role of money in the race, while thanking constituents at a Metra station in Richton Park Wednesday morning.

“Do those people complain about the NRA who spent millions of dollars on the last election.. against the President? I don’t hear people talking about that,” said Kelly.

It appears that Kelly will face Republican Paul McKinley in the special general election in April.

McKinley held a narrow lead over Dr. Eric Wallace, as of Wednesday morning.

The 2nd Congressional seat became open after the resignation of Jesse Jackson Jr.

Jackson faces several years in prison, after he admitted to spending $750,000, in campaign cash, on personal expenses.