Mark Curran wins GOP Senate primary in Illinois

Republican Mark Curran won the GOP Senate primary in Illinois on Tuesday, earning him the chance to take on Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) in the November general election.

Curran defeated four other Republicans in the primary race and will now face an uphill challenge to unseat the No. 2 Democrat in the Senate.

The Associated Press called the race for Curran with more than 68 percent of precincts reporting. Curran beat out Peggy Hubbard, his nearest competitor, by roughly 20 points.

Curran, the former Lake County sheriff, has adopted both Democratic and Republican policy positions, supporting extensions for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program and creating a pathway to citizenship for “Dreamers” while also opposing abortion access and backing President Trump’s border wall.

“What I need to do is sell people on the possibility, and I absolutely believe in the possibility that we can take out Dick Durbin,” Curran told the Chicago Sun Times. “And if we can do that, it’ll be the biggest upset in America.”