8th District Democrat says seat passes from one grassroots candidate to another

Outgoing U.S. Rep. Melissa Bean Wednesday morning pledged a smooth transition for Congressman-elect Joe Walsh, but declined to address the factors that led to the tea party-backed candidate's upset victory in the 8th Congressional District.

The Barrington Democrat, who conceded to Walsh Tuesday night after a count of the last remaining ballots left him with a 291-vote edge, said she would leave it to the media and pundits to explain what some national experts have called the biggest surprise of the 2010 election.

While many criticized Bean's campaign and the national Democratic Party for not appearing to take Walsh seriously, the three-term congresswoman said she personally took the McHenry Republican as a serious challenger.

At a news conference in Schaumburg Wednesday morning, Bean said that as someone who started out as a grassroots candidate herself, she understood what it was like to not be taken seriously by the media.

The closeness of her race amid “a tsunami of change” that swept Republicans into control of Congress, she added, serves as a testament to her service.

“We held on and were defeated by only the slimmest of margins,” Bean said. “This race will serve as a reminder that each and every vote matters.”

Bean declined to speak about her short-term or long-term plans, saying that it was Walsh's day.

“This is a day to acknowledge the new representative,” Bean said. “It's about Joe Walsh, not Melissa Bean.”

Walsh held his own news conference an hour later in Washington, D.C., where he is attending a week of orientation for newly elected members of Congress.

After congratulating Bean on her campaign and thanking her for her six years of service, Walsh spoke of his own priorities once he and the incoming Republican majority are seated in January.

“I'm on a mission to stop the spending path we're on,” Walsh said. “People are tired of politics as usual. Politics as usual is coming to Washington and becoming obsessed with re-election.”

Walsh said he's against extending unemployment benefits any further, preferring instead to fix the 8th District's 11 percent unemployment rate by eliminating tax uncertainty for small business owners.

He said he's still mulling which committees he'd prefer to sit on, but hopes to be involved with entitlement reform. Rather than specifying his thoughts on the subject, Walsh said the first step is to bring all interested parties to the table.

Fielding a question about climate change, Walsh said he believes the science behind it needs to be developed further, but the government's priority right now must be on economic growth and job creation.

“We can't rush headlong into a policy that is going to tax our businesses,” Walsh said. “Right now, people are hurting. Helping people keep their homes and pay their bills has to be our focus.”

Walsh added that he bears no resentment toward the Republican party for not funding his campaign more. He said party representatives have been very gracious since the election and clear about their willingness to help him retain the seat.

“I am extremely happy that my party the Republican party could be competitive in so many races,” Walsh said.