What We Did Together: Victories of Illinois
Tuesday’s election was a resounding victory for women. More than ever before, women’s issues were at the forefront of the election. This is clear both nationally and here in Illinois. We know there has been a lot of media attention given to President Barack Obama’s fantastic win, but we want to share with you the great news about Illinois.
Although the U.S. House remains in the hands of an anti-choice leadership, it is exciting to note that we saw several important wins for women occur in Illinois.
In the 8th district, Tammy Duckworth (D) defeated Joe Walsh (R). Walsh had gained a reputation of being one of the most abrasively outspoken members of Congress. He is best known by Planned Parenthood for his comments that abortion is never medically necessary, not even to save the life of a woman. Cheri Bustos (D) won in the 17th district against Bobby Schilling (R) who was a co-sponsor of the “forcible rape” bill.
Although the U.S. House remains in the hands of an anti-choice leadership, it is exciting to note that we saw several important wins for women occur in Illinois.
In the 8th district, Tammy Duckworth (D) defeated Joe Walsh (R). Walsh had gained a reputation of being one of the most abrasively outspoken members of Congress. He is best known by Planned Parenthood for his comments that abortion is never medically necessary, not even to save the life of a woman. Cheri Bustos (D) won in the 17th district against Bobby Schilling (R) who was a co-sponsor of the “forcible rape” bill.
In addition, two moderate Republicans lost their districts in part because they were tied to the extreme agenda of their party. Brad Schneider (D) won against Robert Dold (R) in the 10th and former Congressman Bill Foster (D) got the better of Judy Biggert (R) in the 11th. Schneider and Foster ran on the position that politicians should stay out of women’s personal medical decisions. These wins mean that the majority of the Illinois Congressional delegation supports Planned Parenthood Illinois Action (PPIA) issues.
This election was truly historic for Illinois women. Eighty-two percent of PPIA endorsed candidates won their races and we picked up several solidly pro-choice senators. Pro-choice Senate President John Cullerton (D) increased his majority caucus from 35 to 40 giving Democrats a veto-proof majority. This means that the Illinois Senate is likely to stand up for reproductive health care.
We also gained pro-choice members in the Illinois House which will make it easier to stop the attacks on women’s health that we’ve seen in recent years. However, we can continue to expect battles in the House over the next two years with very close votes. Despite what happens, Planned Parenthood will be here for our patients NO MATTER WHAT!
The PPIA team truly appreciates each and every volunteer who knocked on doors and made phone calls to turn out the pro-choice vote. And, a big THANK YOU to all of our supporters who voted for our endorsed candidates. This election victory is yours! You made it happen!
Thanks for your support!
This post was created by Planned Parenthood Illinois Action (PPIA). PPIA is an independent,
nonpartisan, not-for-profit organization formed as the advocacy and
political arm of Planned Parenthood of Illinois (PPIL).Connect with PPIA on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, and YouTube.
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posted by Planned Parenthood at
11:07 AM
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