Casten Wins 4th Term In 6th Congressional District: AP

ILLINOIS — U.S. Rep. Sean Casten (IL-D) won his fourth term in the 6th Congressional District, beating GOP challenger Niki Conforti, of Glen Ellyn, according to the Associated Press.

With the usual slow returns coming out of DuPage County, AP called the race in favor of the Downers Grove Democrat just before 10 p.m. Tuesday.

For a while, the race was close, but Casten built and maintained a comfortable lead over Conforti for the rest of the evening.

As of just before 10:45 p.m., with 89 percent of the vote in:

* Casten -182,381 (53.6 percent)

Conforti - 158,117 (46.4 percent)

Casten thanked supporters and volunteers who knocked on doors and made phone calls, and his wife, Kara, and daughter, Audrey, for their sacrifices.

Calling serving in the 6th Congressional District the honor and privilege of the lifetime, Casten ran in 2018 because he felt there was more than that united us, instead of dividing us, he said in a written statement.

“No matter who you voted for in this election, who your neighbors or loved ones voted for, do not lose sight of the fact that we are one people – the American people – bound by these shared values.

“Tonight, I feel hopeful about our future. It’s the people of the 6th District who fuel that hope, reminding me every day of our shared beliefs and demonstrating their remarkable decency.

“Serving the 6th District in Congress is the honor of a lifetime. I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to continue this important work. Thank you to everyone who has placed their trust in me."

Unlike two years ago, when the then newly reconfigured 6th District came perilously close to flipping back to red, saved by a late night surge of DuPage County blue votes, the 2024 race has been relatively quiet.

Casten warded off two challengers in the March primary, Chicagoan Charles Hughes and Oak Brook-resident and public health advocate Mahnoor Ahmad, to win the Democratic nomination for the U.S. House seat representing the 6th Congressional District.

Conforti ran unopposed in the March GOP primary, winning her party’s nod. She lost her first run for the House in the 2022 Republican primary, losing to Orland Park Mayor Keith Pekau, who went on to lose to Casten.

The 6th District encompasses towns in DuPage and Cook Counties, and parts of Chicago’s Southwest Side, including Alsip, Chicago Ridge, Palos Heights, Worth, Crestwood, Oak Forest, Oak Lawn, Tinley Park, Orland Park, Orland Hills, Palos Hills, Palos Heights, Hickory Hills, Justice, and extending into the Chicago neighborhoods of Clearing, Beverly and Mount Greenwood; and in DuPage, Downers Grove, Oak Brook, Oak Brook Terrace, Lisle, Wheaton, Glen Ellyn, Lombard, Elmhurst Darien, Hinsdale and Willow Springs. The district was remapped in 2021.

Candidates Made Their Case

Glen Ellyn resident Niki Conforti made her second run for the Illinois 6th Congressional District on the republican ticket. She challenged three-term incumbent Democrat Sean Casten.

She listed her occupation on her Patch candidate survey as the Milton Township elected committeewoman. Conforti ran on “kitchen table” issues.

“Kitchen table issues are the most pressing concern for the people of my district," she said. "The cost of living is out of control. People are struggling to put food on their table and gas in their cars due to the current failed Democrat policies."

She is an energy consultant and previously spent 12 years in healthcare working with large health systems. Conforti said she knows how to deliver healthcare. She has also owned her own staffing business and said she understands the challenges of small business owners – and understands what it takes to get people back to work.

Her platform issues included:

Affordable Health Care: She said she'd push for real reform of the Affordable Health Care Act with increased transparency in billing, which will foster competition among healthcare systems.

Debt Ceiling: Conforti said she is not in favor of raising the debt ceiling.

Economy: She calls today’s economy “fragile.”

“Our economy is struggling at its core, and threats of a recession are still looming. In fact, if they hadn’t changed the definition of a recession to suit their agenda, we would already be considered in a recession.”

Education: Conforti stated that it's to get back to the basics – reading, writing and arithmetic.

“We also must address what is being done to water down curriculums nationwide and fill our kids' heads with opinions rather than facts. We need to give our kids the tools to succeed. I support helping our kids improve their critical thinking skills—not being told what to think.

“We must end the sexualization of our kids and protect parental rights.”

Election Integrity: Conforti favors showing a photo ID to vote.

“Recent events have brought to light problems with our election processes.

“I will push to re-implement the need for 3 forms of ID to register to vote, and proof of ID at the polling booth.”

Immigration: “The crisis at our southern border continues to be a national crisis. Millions of migrants have entered illegally without consideration of their criminal or health history. It is threatening our communities by increasing drug trafficking, bringing more criminals into our country, and costing taxpayers billions. This, combined with Illinois’ sanctuary state policies, are putting us all at risk.

The federal government must enforce the laws on the southern border and continue constructing the wall.”

Police and Law Enforcement: Conforti also says that the radical left attack on police has to end.

“The ‘defund the police’ and ‘end cash bail’ agendas are detrimental to the safety of our communities. They make our families less safe. I oppose releasing violent felons on their own recognizance, and I oppose defunding our local police departments.”

Taxes: Conforti said she would work to curb the “left’s radical spending” which increases taxes.

Abortion/Reproductive Rights: Conforti said she is proudly pro-life with the exception of rape, incest and life of the mother and opposes the Democrats’ radical abortion agenda.

Casten holds a B.A. in molecular biology and biochemistry from Middlebury College and a masters of engineering management and an M.S. in Biochemical Engineering from the Thayer School of Engineering at Dartmouth.

Casten says in his travels around the 6th District, looming in district voters’ minds is the survival of democracy in the United States.

“We may not immediately restore the rights that this Supreme Court has taken away through the Courts, nor will men of low character in high office suddenly become moral beacons to future generations. But we will survive because of our nation’s collective decency, and our collective willingness to organize ourselves into collective action and fix problems,” Casten said in his Patch candidate survey.

Casten’s campaign issues include:

• Veterans Policy - Cosponsored Improving Benefits for Underserved Veterans Act, passed the Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act and cosponsored Accelerated Veterans Recovery Act.
• Racial Justice - Cosponsored the George Floyd Justice and Policing Act; advocates for environmental justice, especially communities of color most affected by pollution; and co-sponsored HR 1, to stop voter suppression.
• Gun Safety - Cosponsored the Bipartisan Background Checks Act, the Assault Weapons Ban, the Prevent Gun Trafficking Act, the Protect Children Through Safe Gun Ownership Act; and introduced the Gun Trafficker Detention Act.
• Education - Passed into Law his amendment to help sexual assault victims on college campuses; Introduced the Pell Grant Sustainability Act; and introduced bi-partisan legislation to protect students from sudden school closures and Introduced the ESP Family Leave Act.
• The Right To Vote - Cosponsored H.R. 1, the For the People Act, the Voting Right Enhancement Act; the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act.
• LGBTQ Rights - Championed House Resolution 124 to oppose former President Trump’s ban on transgender people serving in the military; cosponsored the Equality Act; introduced the Fair Calculations in Civil Damages Act; and is a member of the LGBTQ+ Equality Caucus.
• Immigration Reform - Cosponsored the American Dream and Promise Act; cosponsored the Humanitarian Standards for Individuals in Customs and Border Protection Custody Act; voted for The Farm Workforce Modernization Act; and led a letter urging the Biden administration to take steps to create a robust resettlement program for Ukrainian refugees within the United States.
• Women’s And Reproductive Health Act - Cosponsored and helped pass the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act into law; cosponsored the Paycheck Fairness Act and the Abortion is Health Care Everywhere Act.
• Jobs and Growing Our Economy - Secured $1 Billion for Illinois in federal funding from the Infrastructure Investment and Job Act; cosponsored the Raise the Wage Act; voted for the Moving Forward Act; and cosponsored the bipartisan Protecting Older Workers Against Discrimination Act, the Social Security 2100 Act and the American Energy Worker Opportunity Act of 2021.