DSCC backs Duckworth in Illinois

Rep. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) has won the endorsement of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee as she looks past her primary toward a race against Sen. Mark Kirk (R) in one of 2016’s most competitive Senate elections.

The move shows the party’s establishment starting to coalesce behind Duckworth in Illinois, despite the presence of a Democratic primary challenger.

{mosads}“Tammy Duckworth has spent her life serving this nation and the state of Illinois, and she has a proven record of advocating for veterans, women and working families. Tammy’s incredible story reflects her persistence and tenacity, even when the odds are stacked against her, and she brings that same determination to her work on behalf of her constituents every single day,” Sen. Jon Tester (Mont.), the DSCC’s chairman, said in a statement on Thursday.

“We are excited to support Tammy and we are confident that she will be an outstanding Senator for the State of Illinois.”

Duckworth has at least one opponent in the March 15 Democratic primary, Chicago Urban League President Andrea Zopp, who announced her campaign in mid-May, more than six weeks after Duckworth. She told The Chicago Sun-Times last week that her campaign raised $665,000 in that span, while Duckworth announced a haul of about twice that in double the time.

Kirk narrowly edged out Duckworth’s $1.2 million haul with his $1.35 million, his campaign told The Hill on Wednesday.

Duckworth is currently the favorite to win the Democratic primary and face Kirk in a matchup of two former combat veterans.

Illinois typically votes Democratic in presidential years; the majority of state voters haven’t backed a Republican presidential candidate since 1988. But those same voters just vanquished Democratic Gov. Pat Quinn in favor of Republican challenger Bruce Rauner, so Republicans are hopeful that they will be able to defend the seat and push back against a Democratic effort to retake control of the Senate.