Schakowsky cruises to primary victory

Congresswoman Janice D. Schakowsky on Tuesday easily trounced the first challenger she faced within her own party since she won the 9th District seat in 1998.

With 87 percent of precincts reporting, unofficial results showed Schakowsky had 87 percent -- soundly defeating Chicago attorney and political newcomer John Nocita.

In November, she will face a Republican and a Green Party candidate in the general election.

Besides political experience, the two candidates differed on the Iraq war, abortion rights, immigration and health care.

Schakowsky wants troops to come home as soon as possible. Nocita, however, opposed setting a timetable.

Schakowsky, of Evanston, supports abortion rights, while Nocita, a Roman Catholic, said abortion should only be an option in cases of rape and incest. He also said abortion rights should be decided by states, not the federal government.

Schakowsky backed creating a better path to citizenship for illegal immigrants already in the United States. Nocita said more should be done to prevent illegal immigration.

Schakowsky supports a move toward universal health care, while her Democratic challenger rejected the idea, saying he believed it was akin to a socialized system.

The 9th District includes Des Plaines and Rosemont.