Randy Hultgren Concedes 14th District Congressional Race To Lauren Underwood
CHICAGO (CBS) --In Illinois' reliably-Republican 14thCongressional District, 32-year-old black Democratic nurse Lauren Underwood of Naperville has unseated GOP incumbent Rep. Randy Hultgren of Plano.
Underwood will become the first woman and first minority to represent the rural and suburban area north and west of Chicago.
With 94 percent of precincts reporting, Underwood led Hultgren 51.6 percent to 48.3 percent.
Hultgren, a four-term white Republican incumbent, hadn't had a serious challenger since 2010.
RELATED: Complete Illinois Election Results
Hultgren, 52, known as a solid conservative, beat his Democratic challenger by an 18 percent margin in 2016.
"We did everything we could," Hultgren told supporters in his concession speech. "I feel so good about the race that we ran. I would've loved to have won the race. I am so grateful for each and every one of you."
As a black female progressive candidate in a district formerly represented by ex-House Speaker Dennis Hastert, Underwood—a former adviser in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services under President Obama—has said Hultgren's support for repealing the Affordable Care Act fueled her motivation to run for the seat.
"Each of you has inspired (me) to pour every ounce into this campaign," Underwood said. "I had to dig deep and think--'could I do it?'"
The 14th District in Illinois covers mostly rural areas of the western and northern suburbs, including most of McHenry, Kane and Kendall counties.
