Tammy Duckworth fends off challengers, wins US Senate seat in Illinois

The Associated Press called the race for Illinois' U.S. senate seat for Democratic U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth, according to unofficial results, shortly after polls closed Tuesday in the 2022 midterm election.

Duckworth won re-election to a second term, defeating political newcomer and lawyer Kathy Salvi, a Republican, and Libertarian candidate Bill Redpath.

"I know there are still some folks seeking to sow seeds of division among us," Duckworth said in a statement. "I know that we’re a Union that, yes, at times has been anything but united. But the miracle of America is that when it looks like those worst instincts are set to prevail, we come together and resist. We refuse to give in to that darkness.”

With more than 3.1 million votes counted, Duckworth had gotten 57% of the vote as of 10 p.m., according to unofficial election results.

Salvi conceded the election and called Duckworth "to congratulate her on a hard-fought victory."

"While she and I differ on many issues, we share the view that we need to strengthen our economy, make communities safe and restore civility to our political system," Salvi said in a statement. "It is my sincere hope that she will be a strong voice on behalf of all Illinoisans in the United States Senate over the next six years and I wish her well."

2022 Illinois election results:All the midterm election results in one spot

Duckworth, an Iraq War veteran who lost both legs when her helicopter was shot down in 2004, has served in Congress for nearly a decade. Between 2013 and 2017, she represented Illinois’ 8th Congressional District, northwest of Chicago.

A pair of write-in candidates were also running for the Senate seat. They included Constant "Connor" VlaKancic, who is a member of the "Abraham Lincoln 1864 National Union party," and Lowell Martin Seida who is an independent write-in candidate.

Duckworth, 54, resides in Hoffman Estates. She is married with two daughters. Before becoming a U.S. Senator, Duckworth served on the U.S. House of Representatives and was assistant secretary of Veterans Affairs for Public and Intergovernmental Affairs, director of Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs and a member of the Illinois Army National Guard.

She was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2017 when she defeated the incumbent Republican Mark Kirk.

Salvi, 63, is from Mundelein. She is married with six children. Salvi worked as a judicial clerk for Justice Harry Strouse, an assistant public defender in Lake County and is a partner in the law firm Salvi & Maher, LLC.

Redpath, 64, is a business appraiser, specializing in media and telecommunications. Redpath has worked as an auditor and financial analyst and adviser for much of his life. He is managing director for the Summit Ridge Group.

A Rockford Register Star reporter since 2005, Jeff Kolkey writes about city government, politics, trends in the Rockford region and more. He is a Rockford resident, a married father of two and a White Sox fan. He can be reached at (815) 987-1374, via email at jkolkey@rrstar.com and on Twitter @jeffkolkey.

This article originally appeared on Rockford Register Star: Tammy Duckworth wins IL's US Senate seat in midterms