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| Rep. Tammy Duckworth at the nation's capitol. |
REP. TAMMY DUCKWORTH (D, Ill.) declared her candidacy for the U.S. Senate last week. She'll be challenging incumbent Sen. Mark Kirk, a Republican.
In her video announcing her intentions, she said:
"I'm running for the United States Senate in 2016 because it's time for Washington to be held accountable and to put Illinois' families and communities first," said Duckworth in the video. "I will fight my heart out to represent you with honor and integrity."
Duckworth, a self-described "daughter of a Marine, a wife, a new mom, and a combat veteran," talked about family issues on the video. She mentioned the need for more pre-kindergarten, affordable college loans and tax-cuts for small businesses and the middle-class.
"I believe that together we can build an America that is strong from the ground up," Duckworth said.Duckworth is the first Asian-American woman elected to Congress in Illinois, the first disabled woman elected to the U.S. House, and the first member of Congress born in Thailand.
My favorite video clip of Duckworth is below when, as a member of the House military overisight committee, she interviewed defense contractor Braulio Castillo whose company was receiving extra preference credit for his alleged "combat injury," which he got while playing football.
Duckworth lost both legs and part of her arm in 2004 when a rocket propelled grenade hit her helicopter while flying combat missions in Iraq so it was no surprise as a genuine combat veteran, she tore into him. I especially like the part when she said, "My feet hurt, too" without blinking an eye or waiting for the drum beat to accentuate her irony.
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| Raja Krishnamoorthi |
The former Illinois deputy treasurer made the announcement Tuesday, a day after Duckworth said she would enter the race for Kirk's seat.
Duckworth defeated Krishnamoorthi in the 2012 Democratic primary for the 8th District northwest suburban Chicago seat in Congress.
The 41-year-old Krishnamoorthi lives in Schaumburg and was raised in Peoria. He is president of Sivananthan Labs and Episolar, Inc.
Duckworth is the second Asian American woman to run for a Senate seat in 2016. The other candidates is California's Attorney General Kamala Harris, who is running to replace the outgoing Sen. Barbara Boxer. If elected, Harris would be the first Indian American to serve in the Senate.
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