Schakowsky stresses health care as she looks toward sixth term

Democrat Jan Schakowsky headed toward re-election to her sixth term representing the 9th Congressional District late Tuesday.

Schakowsky defeated Republican Michael Benjamin Younan, a manager of medical offices and a United States Air Force veteran, and Morris Shanfield, the Green Party candidate.

With 577 of the 587 preceints reporting, Jan Schakowsky received 75 percent of the votes. Republican Michael Benjamin Younan trailed with 22 percent and Shanfield collected about 3 percent, according to unofficial vote totals. Schakowsky, 64, of Evanston, was at Barack Obama's Chicago rally Tuesday night, which she called "an experience of a lifetime."

"To be part of a team led by Barack Obama, I can't tell you what that means to me," she said. "Now maybe health care for all Americans is within reach."

In her next term Schakowsky also wants to end the war in Iraq and redirect those finances to help fight crime.

In the months leading up to the election, Schakowsky and Younan disagreed on the financial bailout plan and whether to allow oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska and in offshore areas.

Schakowsky voted for the $700 billion bailout recently approved by Congress, saying the plan that finally passed was a big improvement over what was originally proposed by Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson. Younan said he would not have voted for it without more stipulations protecting homeowners.

Schakowsky also opposed offshore drilling without approval by the relevant states and is against drilling in ANWAR. Younan disagreed and said offshore and ANWAR drilling are necessary to remove us from dependence on foreign oil.