8th District candidates appear at fundraising dinner
Tammy Duckworth and Raja Krishnamoorthi, opponents in Tuesday's 8th Congressional District Democratic primary, took a break from the campaign trail Sunday night to attend the annual St. Patrick's Day fundraising dinner hosted by the York Township Democratic Organization.
Both candidates knew, though, that with just one more campaign day before the primary election, their break would be a short one.
“I'll be back out there tomorrow,” Duckworth said before Sunday's dinner in Oakbrook Terrace. “I'll be going all the way up to the end.”
“The last few days have been a frenzy,” Krishnamoorthi said. “And tomorrow it will start up again — big time.”
Duckworth and Krishnamoorthi are battling for the chance to square off as a Democrat against U.S. Rep. Joe Walsh, a Republican Tea Party member, in November's general election. Both candidates have made jobs and the economy the centerpiece of their campaigns, calling for greater cooperation in Washington and renewed investment in infrastructure and education.
Where they've differed is in approach. Krishnamoorthi, a Hoffman Estates resident and an executive at a small tech company, says his business experience and the financial knowledge he acquired during a stint working at the Illinois treasurer's office make him the candidate who can best help the economy. Duckworth, also a Hoffman Estates resident, says her military service — she lost her legs while serving in the Iraq War — and her humble beginnings in a struggling family give her the insight and fortitude necessary to make tough economic decisions.
On Sunday, Duckworth said she's happy with her campaign and believes she got her message out.
“I made a game plan when I started and really stuck to it,” she said. “I wanted it to be as positive a campaign as possible. I wanted jobs to be front and center. I tried to tune out all the political noise that was in the air. I think it's gone very well.”
Krishnamoorthi said he was struck by the level of economic anxiety among the voters he talked to.
“Even though we've had some good economic news lately, people are still very anxious,” he said. “That made me realize that I was on the right track in focusing on the economy.”
Carol Davis, a Villa Park resident and president of the York Township Democratic Organization, said she believes Democrats will benefit this year from the GOP's shift to the right and recent attacks on unions in Wisconsin and other states.
“Even in the York Township area, where we are the minority party, we've been making inroads,” Davis said. “I think the Democratic message, which centers on helping the middle class, the working man and woman, is being heard.”