Tammy Duckworth Running in Newly Drawn 8th District
File Photo
Illinois Democrat Tammy Duckworth announced Wednesday that she will run in the newly drawn 8th district, which includes territory favorable to Democrats.
“My father served in Vietnam, my brother served in the Coast Guard, and my husband continues to serve on active duty because our family believes in this great nation. There are plenty of folks in Washington who serve political ideology and personal ambition. I want to continue serving our country,” Duckworth said in a statement.
Duckworth, 43, an Iraq War veteran who lost her legs after an explosion in combat, left her post as assistant secretary of Veterans Affairs last month, fueling speculation that she was preparing to run.
Her Hoffman Estates home was drawn into the 8th district, where she would face a primary against former Illinois Deputy Treasurer Raja Krishnamoorthi, who announced that he raised $400,000 in the second quarter.
This is her second bid for Congress after losing to Rep. Peter Roskam (R) in the current 6th district in 2006. Duckworth spent more than $4.5 million on that race.
