tammy duckworth

Rep. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., on Monday received the endorsement of the SEIU Illinois State Council, a vote of confidence from labor leaders and a pool of manpower that should help her in the three-way Democratic primary for the Senate seat held by Republican Mark S. Kirk.  

“SEIU is an incredibly effective and diverse organization, and we share a commitment to fighting to improve the lives of working families and making our state a fairer and more decent place,” Duckworth said in a release. “I am proud to stand with the working men and women of SEIU, and I look forward to continuing to work to rebuild our middle class, create jobs and raise wages, and provide a measure of economic and retirement security for hardworking Illinois families.”  

On paper, Andrea Zopp seems to have quite a story to tell in her campaign for the Democratic nomination to take on Republican Sen. Mark S. Kirk next fall in Illinois.  

After leading Chicago’s Urban League for five years following a career serving on boards for some of the city's largest corporations, Zopp launched her campaign in May at the urging of former White House Chief of Staff Bill Daley and with the support  of Rev. Jesse Jackson. But she has bucked her party’s national establishment, which — from the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee to EMILY’s List — has mostly lined up behind Illinois Rep. Tammy Duckworth. “I never had the chance to make my case,” Zopp said during an interview in D.C. last month, where she held meetings with potential campaign supporters and Washington-based reporters.  

Two retired comedians will take the stage in New York later this month at a fundraiser to benefit Illinois Rep. Tammy Duckworth, the leading Democrat running to challenge Republican Sen. Mark S. Kirk next fall.  

David Letterman, who retired this year after three decades hosting the "The Late Show" on CBS, and Sen. Al Franken, who gained his own fame from his time as a writer and performer on NBC’s "Saturday Night Live," will headline the event to benefit the Duckworth Victory Fund. The fundraiser is described on an invitation as a night of “serious fun." To attend, a donor has to RSVP and send minimum contribution of at least $1,000 to the Duckworth Victory Fund – a sponsorship level labeled, “Kinda Serious.” To be “Totally Serious” and receive a ticket to an exclusive reception before the event, it gets totally expensive: The campaign has requested donors give $10,400 each.  

Sen. Mark S. Kirk is in a dispute with Illinois Democrats — one of whom is running to replace him — over who has done more to prevent incidents such as the September 2014 fire at an air traffic control facility near Chicago.

Last week, members of the Illinois Democratic delegation announced the results of a Department of Transportation Inspector General audit report that made 42 recommendations to improve security and contingency plans as a result of the Sept. 26, 2014, fire at the Chicago Air Route Traffic Control Center in Aurora, Ill.

Only a week after a visit to Washington for his first time as a candidate in Illinois’ open 8th District, state Sen. Tom Cullerton said he has changed his mind and decided to drop his bid.  

In a statement released early Thursday morning, the Democrat from DuPage County said he would instead run for re-election to the state Senate.