Foster elected to Hastert's seat

[momto4]

www.chicagotribune.com/news/politics/chi-special-election.bd09mar09,0,3818628.story

Campaign 2008: 14th Congressional District
Foster wins Hastert's seat

By James Kimberly

Tribune reporter

9:07 PM CST, March 8, 2008

Update: In a stunning upset Saturday that could be a harbinger of trouble for the GOP this fall, a little-known Democratic physicist won the special election for a seat drawn to re-elect former Republican House Speaker Dennis Hastert.

Bill Foster defeated Republican Jim Oberweis, who lost his fourth high-profile election in six years, following an expensive and highly negative contest.

The win gives Democrats another House seat until at least the end of the year. It also could serve as an omen for November, when two other Illinois congressional seats are up for grabs following Republican retirements and Sen. Barack Obama could bring out a huge turnout if he's the Democratic presidential nominee.

Foster won with 52 percent to Oberweis' 48 percent with nearly all of the unofficial vote counted late Saturday.

[chicoryowl]

Interesting. I don't know what other peoples' take on Oberweis is. Seems to me he's a little contraversial and his losing his fourth election may just be a sign he's not electable and not much more.

[rural]

I'm sure the Obama endorsement didn't hurt any.

[chicoryowl]

I didn't know Obama endorsed Foster. I don't know how the district trends Republican vs. Democrat, but that certainly wouldn't hurt his chances.