PEORIA, Ill. — The 17th Congressional District seat in Congress goes to Democrat Eric Sorensen, with Republican Esther Joy King calling him to concede early Wednesday morning.
The margin between the two candidates totaled roughly 7,000 votes.
Sorensen, a longtime weather broadcaster in the Quad-Cities, first declared victory with an email release just before 1:30 a.m., followed quickly by at least two special interest groups supporting his campaign.
Sorensen issued the following statement on the results of the general election for Illinois’ 17th Congressional District:
“This morning, my opponent Esther Joy King called to concede. I thank her for running, and while we disagreed on the issues, we both have a passion for service.”
“I am honored to have been elected to serve as the next Congressman for Illinois’ 17th Congressional District. I’ve worked to serve the people of Central & NW Illinois for 22 years, earning their trust by telling them the truth and helping them make the right decisions for their lives. In Congress, I will bring that same honesty to representing them and commitment to fighting for lower costs, reproductive rights, and good-paying, sustainable jobs right here at home.”
“Our communities are stronger when we work together, neighbor by neighbor — I look forward to advocating on behalf of the people of Central & NW Illinois in Congress and making sure that they have a seat at the table. And I look forward to continuing to be a good neighbor.”
Sorensen and King carried out a long and bruising campaign, particularly in the home stretch through October, with aggressive attack ads featuring both candidates hammering the other on issues of abortion versus pro-life, crime and the economy.
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