After victory, Underwood campaign spokesman blasts Republicans, pundits in profane tweets
Hours after U.S. Rep. Lauren Underwood won a third term representing Illinois' 14th District, a spokesman for the Naperville Democrat's campaign posted a tweet in which he said all Republicans can "go to hell."
In a different tweet posted about the same time, Ronnie Cho used obscenities to criticize political pundits who incorrectly predicted a nationwide wave of Republican victories Tuesday.
"I hope everyone who was breathlessly touting a red wave loses their livelihood," Cho tweeted about 2:30 a.m. Wednesday. "You don't belong in the public sphere and you should shut the (obscenity) up. Working people could never be as bad at their jobs as you and still come to work." He ended the tweet with another obscenity.
In the other tweet, sent minutes earlier, Cho said: "There are no good Republicans. May they all go to hell."
Cho's Twitter account was protected as of Wednesday morning, so his tweets can't be viewed without his approval.
When asked about the tweets, Cho initially stood by the remarks but clarified that the one about Republicans was aimed at GOP candidates.
He later apologized, saying the tweets were sent at the end of a long night that came at the end of a long campaign.
"I regret what I said," said Cho, whose LinkedIn page indicates he's worked for Underwood as a campaign manager and then a senior adviser since 2018.
Cho insisted the sentiments were his and not made on Underwood's behalf.
Other representatives of Underwood's campaign or congressional staff couldn't be reached for comment.
Underwood defeated Oswego Republican Scott Gryder on Tuesday. Gryder's campaign manager, Gabriella Shanahan, called the tweets "disappointing and very upsetting."
"Over 100,000 constituents voted for the Republican nominee," Shanahan said. "The congresswoman should apologize to her constituents for such egregious remarks made by a member of her team."
The Associated Press declared Underwood the winner in the 14th District race a little after midnight. With about 95% of ballots counted, Underwood was leading 124,628 votes to 107,247 for Gryder, unofficial results showed.
The redrawn 14th District encompasses parts of Kane, Will, DeKalb, Kendall, LaSalle, Bureau and Putnam counties.