Illinois elects Democrat Eric Sorensen to US House seat

By CLAIRE SAVAGE
Associated Press/Report for America

CHICAGO (AP) — A battleground race between newbies aiming to fill retiring U.S. Rep. Cheri Bustos’ seat in Illinois’ 17th district tipped in Democrat Eric Sorensen’s favor, representing a key win for the party as it tries to maintain control of Congress. Sorenson, a meteorologist from Rockford, defeated Republican Esther Joy King, a lawyer who serves in the Army Reserve, in Tuesday’s election. The northwestern Illinois district stretches from Rockford in the north to Peoria and Bloomington in central Illinois. The Associated Press called the close race on Thursday. The state lost one of its 18 House seats after the 2020 census. The redistricting proved successful for Democrats who controlled it and improved to a 14-3 dominance in the state delegation to Washington.