Zopp, Harris look to stop Duckworth in US Senate primary

CHICAGO (AP) - In the Democrats' race for a chance to unseat Republican U.S. Sen. Mark Kirk, the question has always been whether U.S. Rep. Tammy Duckworth's two opponents can overcome her advantages as a sitting congresswoman with name recognition, more funding and a personal war story.

Former Chicago Urban League CEO Andrea Zopp and state Sen. Napoleon Harris will at least try - something other Democratic members of Illinois' congressional delegation considered but ultimately decided against. And while Duckworth also enters the March 15 primary with party establishment backing, Zopp and Harris say they bring valuable things Duckworth does not.

The primary will make clear what's expected to be one of the year's most highly contested U.S. Senate races, with Democrats trying to retake control of the Senate targeting Kirk's seat in left-leaning Illinois as one of their best prospects.

One of the few polls conducted on the race, by the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute at Southern Illinois University, showed Duckworth with support from 52 percent of self-identified Democratic primary voters, while Zopp and Harris were in single digits.

Zopp has stepped up her attacks on Duckworth since that poll was conducted in mid-February, going after her repeatedly in their lone televised debate. Zopp says Duckworth doesn't have much to show for her time in office, criticizes her for not participating in more debates and says the congresswoman's strategy seems to be not to engage with Zopp, instead "running on her (military) service record and her name recognition."

Zopp, who was recently endorsed by the Chicago Sun-Times, also argues her experience as a federal and state prosecutor and leading a civil rights organization that advocates for minority communities makes her the most qualified to take on Kirk.

"For me the challenge has always been name recognition ... My polls very early on showed that when people know who I am, know my background and what I bring to the table, they move," she said. "That's clearly the case and so we're excited."

Duckworth, an Army veteran who lost both legs when her helicopter was shot down in Iraq, agreed to one televised debate and two joint newspaper endorsement sessions that were livestreamed. Her campaign spokesman, Matt McGrath, laughed at the idea that she might be ducking her challengers, saying she's focused on talking directly to voters - as evidenced by being the only one to open campaign offices statewide, including the Quad Cities area and near St. Louis.

Even when she's appearing with her Democratic rivals, Duckworth has squarely focused on Kirk's foreign policy stances. She wants to admit 100,000 Syrian refugees to the U.S., while Kirk says the U.S. shouldn't admit any until the federal government can guarantee they don't pose a threat. Duckworth says that position "demonizes" Syrians.

"I won't participate in turning our backs on kids, sending them to refugee camps so they become the kind of fighters like the one who shot me down," she said during an endorsement session with the Chicago Tribune.

Meanwhile, Harris says he's the kind of leader Illinois needs because he's uniquely qualified to tackle issues of poverty, education and what it takes to build a successful business. Growing up in the Chicago suburb of Dixmoor, he said his mother struggled to pay the bills but pushed him to do well in school. He played football at Northwestern University and for three NFL teams, and then returned to the south suburbs to open pizza restaurants.

"I'm someone that understands these issues all too well because I've lived them, I've experienced them," Harris said during a speech before the City Club of Chicago.

Both Zopp and Harris, who are African-American, say they would focus on reforming the criminal justice system, reducing violence by strengthening gun laws and creating jobs, particularly in neighborhoods where the lure of gang and drug activity is particularly strong.

Days after Chicago released video of a white officer shooting black teenager Laquan McDonald 16 times, Zopp called for then-police chief Garry McCarthy to resign and for a special prosecutor to replace Cook County State's Attorney Anita Alvarez on the case. Harris says the issues are particularly personal for him: His brother-in-law was murdered in Chicago in 2013.

Duckworth has the support of the national party establishment, including U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin. Zopp is backed by former White House chief of staff William Daley and other top Chicago Democrats, while Illinois Senate President John Cullerton has endorsed Harris.

Duckworth entered 2016 with about $3.65 million in her campaign fund, according to reports filed with the Federal Election Commission. Harris loaned his campaign a little more than $1 million, almost his entire campaign account. Zopp started the year with about $714,000.