Gun control is the real winner in race to replace Jesse Jackson Jr.
theGRIO REPORT - In a race where guns quickly dominated the debate, gun control advocate Robin Kelly clinched the Democratic nomination for Illinois 2nd Congressional District general election Tuesday by more than 50 percent of the vote...
He continued, saying, “This is an important victory for common sense leadership on gun violence, a problem that plagues the whole nation. And it’s the latest sign that voters across the country are demanding change from their representatives in Washington – not business as usual.”
Race was a leading issue when Halvorson, the major white candidate, entered a field where most of the other candidates were African-American. She had name recognition working for her, after working in the district for years, and losing to Jackson, Jr. in the 2012 Democratic primaries. Many residents of the predominantly black Democratic district feared that the black candidates, including Kelly, would split the black vote. But as the race went on, some other major black candidates, including former Sen. Donne Trotter and sitting Sens. Toi Hutchinson and Napoleon Harris withdrew to throw their support behind Kelly.
Halvorson called to congratulate Kelly and show her support about an hour after polls closed. “We’re all Democrats,” she told supporters. “We are all with Robin.”
Chicago Ald. Anthony Beale, who was also considered a frontrunner in the later days of the race, said Bloomberg and his Super PAC funding unfairly conquered the race.
“We cannot let the Democratic party cannibalize Democrats for ulterior motives that don’t serve the people’s best interest. If this is the future of the Democratic Party, then we are all in big trouble,” he told his supporters.
Since the district is so heavily Democratic, Kelly is almost certain to win the April 9th general election.
Her nomination carries cultural historical significance as well. If she won the general election, she would become the 30th black female ever to be elected to the House of Representatives in the history of the nation. Kelly, who is originally from New York City, would be following a trend started in 1968 by Shirley Chisholm, who won her seat in a newly-created district.
Kelly will now face Republican candidate Paul McKinley, who won his party’s nomination Tuesday.
In her victory speech, Kelly described her overwhelming support as a major setback for powerful gun rights lobby, the National Rifle Association.
“The voters sent a message that tells the NRA that their days of holding our country hostage are coming to an end. And their days of scaring Congress into submission on gun control are coming to a close,” Kelly told supporters.
Renita D. Young is a Chicago-based multimedia journalist. Follow her on Twitter @RenitaDYoung.
