Posted by
Black Knight on Sunday, March 09, 2008 10:38:50 AM
www.chicagotribune.com/news/politics/chi-foster-wins-hasterts-seat-080308,0,7539185.story
chicagotribune.com
Democrat Foster wins Hastert's seat
Tribune staff reporter
9:20 PM CST, March 8, 2008
In a stunning upset Saturday that could be a harbinger of trouble for the GOP this fall, a little-known Democratic physicist won the special election for a seat drawn to re-elect former Republican House Speaker Dennis Hastert.
Bill Foster defeated Republican Jim Oberweis, who lost his fourth high-profile election in six years, following an expensive and highly negative contest.
The win gives Democrats another House seat until at least the end of the year. It also could serve as an omen for November, when two other Illinois congressional seats are up for grabs following Republican retirements and Sen. Barack Obama could bring out a huge turnout if he's the Democratic presidential nominee.
Foster won with 52 percent to Oberweis' 48 percent with nearly all of the unofficial vote counted late Saturday.
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