Schakowsky says she won't back down from fight with GOP

Declaring victory in the 9th Congressional District race, veteran congresswoman and staunch liberal Jan Schakowsky said she won't back off from the fight for health care, even with Republicans in charge of the House.

Overcoming a robust campaign by Republican challenger Joel Pollak, unofficial vote totals showed Schakowsky leading with 66 percent of the vote to Pollak's 31 percent, with 514 of 532 precincts reporting in Chicago and Suburban Cook County.

Green Party candidate Simon Ribeiro of Evanston has garnered roughly 3 percent of the vote.

While Democrats across the country have shied away from their support for health care, Schakowsky campaigned strongly on the reform bill she helped champion. She said her main priority for the next two years is defending the law.

“As far as I'm concerned there's not going to be any retreat on the victories that we managed to get in the face of Republicans saying no to everything for political gain,” said the Evanston Democrat. “If there's gridlock, that's what republicans tried to do this session and were unsuccessful with stopping things from happening. If they think they are going to undo whatever was done, they have another think coming.”

Schakowsky has represented the 9th Congressional District, which includes part of Des Plaines and Rosemont, for 12 years.

Pollak, a Skokie attorney and former Democrat embraced by the tea party, said he thought the Affordable Care Act law ought to be scrapped, and vowed to focus on trimming federal fat and spurring small business.

Schakowsky lauded Pollak for running a vigorous campaign and said it has been the most challenging race she has had since her first victory.

“He raised a good deal of money and fielded a very aggressive campaign,” she said.

Pollak could not be reached for comment late Tuesday.

Schakowsky said ultimately voters sent a clear message Tuesday “that a tea party endorsed candidate, a real conservative, is not going to represent the 9th Congressional District.”

Schakowsky said voters in the district support her progressive agenda, including the landmark health care reform law, believe in comprehensive immigration reform, and are worried about Republicans wanting to cut Social Security and Medicare.

“I'm very proud to represent such a diverse district,” Schakowsky said. “We ran a very robust campaign and we were able to deliver the vote. I'm very grateful I have a very dedicated base of supporters who worked very hard for this victory.”

Schakowsky said Americans will get to see for themselves Republicans' true agenda.

“They campaigned on deficits and at the same time (are) talking about giving more tax breaks to the wealthy,” she said. “The utter hypocrisy of their message will become clear now that they are actually in charge.”

Schakowsky and Pollak disagreed on many issues during the campaign, including whether President Barack Obama's federal economic stimulus program is a success.

Pollak said he doesn't believe the program has created any jobs, while Schakowsky defended the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act argues it has created and saved 3.5 million jobs according to leading economists.

Pollak also believes Bush-era tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans, those making $250,000 or more, should be extended and expanded before they expire at the end of the year. Democrats insist keeping the tax cuts alive takes away billions of dollars in revenue that could help lower the national deficit. Schakowsky supports Obama's plan under which every American, including those in higher-income brackets, would be entitled to some tax cuts. Obama proposes changing the amount of money those in the uppermost brackets would keep. Schakowsky said the proposal extends tax cuts for the middle class.

Schakowsky and Pollak also disagreed on whether tort reform would help lower the cost of malpractice insurance. Schakowsky rejected the idea that it would provide significant cost savings.

The 9th Congressional District spans from the North Side of northern Chicago and North Shore suburbs west to include Des Plaines and Rosemont.