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Robin Kelly Elected New 2nd Congressional District Representative

By Chuck Sudo in News on Apr 10, 2013 2:45PM

2013_4_10_kelly.jpg Tuesday was election day in towns across the Chicago area and, in the highest profile race, Robin Kelly cruised easily to victory in the special election to replace Jesse Jackson Jr. in the 2nd Congressional District. Kelly won 71 percent of the vote against her Republican opponent, convicted felon Paul McKinley, by running on a campaign platform combining economic stimulus and gun control.

Kelly's campaign benefited from $2.2 million in campaign cash donated by New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s Independence USA SuperPAC, which was put to use in attack ads in the February Democratic primary against opponent and former congresswoman Debbie Halvorson's record on gun control.

Gun control legislation became one of the primary issues in the IL-2 campaign and, in her acceptance speech Tuesday night, Kelly had the parents of Hadiya Pendleton, a teen who was killed by a gunman in January, on stage. Kelly said her immediate tasks are to set up offices in the district and restore her constituency's faith in the office after Jackson's medical leave of absence and resignation from office last year. Jackson pleaded guilty in February to using campaign funds for personal use.

"Yes, we've seen some tough times and some setbacks. I know for some of you, your faith in your leaders is a little shaken," Kelly told supporters at a Matteson hotel. "I thank you for that and I promise I will work very hard not to let you down."

--snip --

"Watch us take on the NRA, the tea party and anyone else standing in the way of safety," Kelly said.

After nearly two decades of dealing with congressmen embroiled in scandal, Kelly's constituents in IL-2 told DNAInfo Chicago they only want two simple things from their new representative: honesty and accessibility.

"Everybody says we need jobs, economic development and more police. And yes, we do need those things, but what we need most is someone who will be honest with us and available to meet with us on a regular basis," said Nelson Harris, 55, of Roseland. "I don't think that's too much to ask or expect from an elected official."

As for McKinley, Fox News Chicago reports his goal is now to destroy the local Democratic machine.

"It's a very low turnout, because the people really feel that there's no hope," McKinley told FOX 32 News. "The people, as I was passing out the literature and talking to people, they really felt like there was no more hope in democracy. They felt overran by the machine and they felt like it's, ‘What the use?'"

Kelly flies to Washington, DC Wednesday to get to the business of setting up her congressional office before she's sworn in Thursday.