Posted by Georgia Garvey and Kristen Schorsch at 9:30 p.m.; last updated at 3:31 p.m. Wednesday
Democrat Dan Seals will get his third crack at a North Shore congressional seat, facing Republican political rookie Robert Dold in what’s expected to be an expensive, nationally-watched contest this fall.
Seals squeaked out a win Tuesday against state Rep. Julie Hamos in the 10th Congressional District Democratic primary. With 99 percent of the unofficial vote counted, Seals had 48 percent to 46 percent for Hamos. Late in the evening, Seals declared victory after Hamos conceded.
On the Republican side, Dold will try to succeed five-term U.S. Rep. Mark Kirk, who opted to run for U.S. Senate instead of seeking re-election.
The November campaign is expected to be expensive and nationally-watched after Republican U.S. Rep. Mark Kirk opted to run for U.S. Senate instead of seeking re-election.
In another contest that attracted some national attention, Ethan Hastert, son of former House Speaker Dennis Hastert, conceded defeat in the Republican primary to state Sen. Randall Hultgren in the far west suburban 14th Congressional District.
Both suburban districts could be in play as Republicans try to make gains in the House against the Democrats.
Along the North Shore, Dold, a Kenilworth pest control company owner, portrayed himself as the best candidate to take up Kirk’s mantle.
“We need to focus on common sense, small-business thinking,” Dold said after declaring victory.
Dold got 39 percent in a five-way primary, with state Rep. Elizabeth Coulson of Glenview finishing second with 31 percent.
On the Democratic side, Seals held on against Hamos, a fundraising powerhouse and veteran state lawmaker from Wilmette. With two previous unsuccessful runs against Kirk under his belt, Seals took significant name recognition into the fray.
The 14th District contest saw Hastert come up short in his bid to take back a Kane County seat his father held for decades before retiring in late 2007. But the Hastert name proved as much as a burden as a blessing as some conservative voters resented the 31-year-old Hastert’s first run being for such a high-profile office.
Hultgren scored 55 percent to Hastert’s 45 percent with 98 percent of the vote counted. He’ll take on Democratic U.S. Rep. Bill Foster in November.
The contest turned nasty in the final weeks, with Hultgren accusing Hastert of working for a law firm that represented companies with a history of human trafficking. Hastert responded by having his wife record a phone message to voters blasting Hultgren, who later apologized.
In the far southwest suburban 11th District, 31-year-old Air Force Capt. Adam Kinzinger of Manteno easily bested a crowded Republican field, scoring 63 percent with 99 percent of the vote counted. Kinzinger will take on freshman Democratic U.S. Rep. Debbie Halvorson of Crete, who won the longtime Republican seat in 2008.
"I think what we’re feeling in Illinois and my district is that excitement and that energy, and that’s translated into a victory for me," Kinzinger said.
In the northwest suburban 8th District, business fundraiser Joe Walsh, 48, of Winnetka, who once ran as a liberal Republican for a different congressional seat, outpaced five other GOP candidates. He’s set to face Democratic U.S. Rep. Melissa Bean of Barrington. Walsh got 34 percent in a six-candidate Republican primary with 98 percent of the vote counted.