Sudden Surge Of Votes Puts Casten Over Pekau In IL-06 Nail-Biter

IL-06 — After a nail-biting evening in which incumbent Democrat Sean Casten and Republican challenger Keith Pekau were 50-50 in Illinois’s 6th Congressional District, Casten was carried to his third term in the U.S. House by a late evening dump of DuPage County votes.

AP projected Casten the winner of the Illinois 6th Congressional District race, retaining his seat in the U.S. House for a third term, and helping Democrats striving to maintain control of Congress.

Late in the evening, as votes began pouring giving the Downers Grove Democrat a decisive lead, Casten released a statement thanking supporters and new voters in the reorganized district:

In the conversations I had with folks across the district, I found a shared set of values,” Casten said in a released statement. “We believe in kindness and decency. We believe in science and democracy. We believe that women deserve the right to make their own health care decisions, and that we’re only as good as the world we leave behind to our children.

Over the last two years, we’ve passed the single largest investment in climate action in United States history and the first meaningful gun reform bill in 30 years. We passed legislation to lower the cost of prescription drugs and fix our roads and bridges. We’ve created millions of jobs and brought manufacturing back to the United States.

Tonight, the people of the 6th District sent a resounding message that this is something we can build on.

With 97 percent of the vote counted in the reconfigured IL-06, which covers the western and south suburbs, and some southwest Chicago neighborhoods, Casten carried 54 percent of the vote to Pekau’s 46 percent, according to unofficial vote tallies:

Sean Casten (D) - 141,004
Keith Pekau (R) - 121,414

Source: AP

Casten took to the stage at his watch party in Burr Ridge, telling supporters that he had just received a “very gracious” phone call from Republican challenger, Orland Park Mayor Pekau, conceding the race.

The newly re-elected congressman grew emotional talking about his 17-year-old daughter, Gwen, who died in her sleep just days before the June 28 primary.

“It has been a really hard five months. The last time I won an election we did in a drive-thru, the last time I did an election in a room this big, Gwen was up here with us,” Casten said. “I have a picture of all us on my desk, and she had such joy in her face.”

Turning to his wife, Kara, and daughter, Audrey, he said: “I’m so lucky to have you both.”

The contentious race tightened in recent weeks, with Pekau boasting that he would “flip the sixth,” a near impossible feat in an area that saw a Democratic stranglehold for four decades. For a while Tuesday evening, as votes trickled in, with candidates taking turns leading by less than a thousand votes, it looked like Pekau might pull it off.

Both candidates had heavy hitters breeze in to stump for their campaign last week. House GOP Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy stumped for Pekau at a Big Red Wave event at the Oak Brook Hyatt last week. According to one political operative, “Kevin McCarthy doesn’t come in town for nothing.”

Casten got a bump from President Joe Biden at another late-night fundraiser Friday. The president was in town to bolster Democrat House candidates in the tightening suburban races. A few weeks before that, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Casten hosted a roundtable discussion at Advocate Aurora Good Samaritan Hospital on women’s reproductive rights.

Candidates Made Their Case

Downers Grove Democrat Sean Casten ran for his third term in the U.S. House. In 2018, he beat an entrenched six-term Republican, Peter Roskam. He retained 21 percent of IL-06 after the remapping. Casten handily beat fellow incumbent Democrat Marie Newman, who was dogged by an ethics probe throughout the June 28 Democratic primary campaign.

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.

“It is my great privilege to serve the 6th District in Congress. I am running for office to combat the climate crisis, protect a woman’s right to choose, and lower costs for families — like prescription drugs and child care.

“Throughout my time in Congress, I’ve fought tirelessly to pass legislation, signed into law by President Biden, to lower the carbon footprint of the federal government and position Illinois to lead in clean energy innovation. We passed legislation through the House to lower costs for families - from child care to prescription drugs. And, I was proud to co-sponsor the Women’s Health Protection Act to codify Roe vs. Wade into law."

According to Casten’s website, he stands for:

• Veterans Policy - Cosponsored Improving Benefits for Underserved Veterans Act, passed the Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act and co-sponsored Accelerated Veterans Recovery Act.
• Racial Justice - Cosponsored the George Floyd Justice and Policing Act; advocates for environmental justice, especially communities of color most effected by pollution; and co-sponsored HR 1, to stop voter suppression.
• Gun Safety - Cosponsored the Bipartisan Background Checks Act, the Assault Weapons Band, 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 and 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 Reproduction 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.

Casten has accumulated endorsements from the Chicago Tribune, the Daily Herald, Planned Parenthood Action Fund, Illinois SEIU, National Organization of Women PAC, Brady PAC, Illinois AFL-CIO, Associated Firefighters of Illinois, Illinois Education Association, Illinois Federation of Teachers, Cook County Teachers Union Local 1600, and many others. See all of Casten’s endorsements.

Orland Park Mayor Keith Pekau was the Republican challenger for the House seat in Illinois’s 6th Congressional District. He touts himself as a decorated veteran and a successful small businessman. A U.S. Air Force veteran, he flew combat missions over Iraq. Pekau started a landscape and exterior company, and a management consultant firm. He is a lifelong Orland Park resident and holds a B.S.E. Aerospace Engineering, Arizona State University; MBA Duke University, Fuqua School of Business

Pekau warded off five candidates, commanding almost 40 percent of the vote in the June primary to win the GOP nomination for the IL-06 House seat. He is in his second term as mayor of Orland Park. Pekau stood up to Gov. J.B. Prizker’s mask and vaccination mandates during the depths of the COVID-19 pandemic, garnering an award from the conservative activist group Awake Illinois.

As mayor, he claims to have cut claims to have cut operating expenses by 14 percent, paid down over $50 million in debt, and lowered property tax rates by 28 percent. He claims that crime has plummeted to its lowest level in years, from 1,295 reported index crimes in 1996, to 628 in 2021.

He ran on a “people over politics” platform, stating:

“Politicians like Marie Newman, Sean Casten and Nancy Pelosi have put party politics and far-left agendas ahead of doing what's best for the people they're supposed to represent. That is why I am running for Congress.”

According to Pekau’s campaign website, the issues he is most passionate about include:

• Keeping Families Safe And Our Neighborhoods Secure - “Crime has risen to record levels in the US and Chicago, and suburban families are experiencing frightening increases in crime in our once-peaceful communities. American families shouldn’t have to live in fear. Yet that’s what’s happening. People aren’t going downtown to see their favorite sports team play or eat at a restaurant. Suburban drivers are forced to seek out busy and well-lit gas stations, so their vehicle isn’t stolen while they’re pumping gas. Parents aren’t letting their children ride their bikes through the neighborhood. Crime has become a part of our daily lives. Why is this happening? Because politicians like Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx are letting violent criminals run free. Through progressive policies like defunding the police and no cash bail, they’re more interested in protecting criminals than victims and law-abiding citizens.
• Grow the Economy to Create Good-Paying Middle-Class Jobs - “I will fight to bring economic growth and prosperity back to our country, especially right here in the 6th District. I will work in Congress to create an environment in which businesses can succeed and thrive so they can grow and create good-paying jobs for American workers. And I will hold other countries accountable, especially China, that try to push global economic policies that hurt American businesses and working families … A key part of my plan is to make us energy independent and bring manufacturing back. We should be a global leader in energy production, including renewable sources, allowing us to be an energy exporter. This inexpensive and reliable energy, along with the best labor force in the world, will bring manufacturing jobs back to the United States.”
• Fight Inflation and Bring Fiscal Responsibility to Washington - With reckless spending by Democrats leading to the highest inflation since 1980, working families are struggling to keep up. Everything is more expensive, including groceries, gas, utilities, and even eating at restaurants. This has a real impact on people’s lives … We need to bring common sense to Congress and stop spending more than we bring in. We must lower taxes for hard-working Americans. And it is critical we get our national debt under control. We can do all this without negatively impacting services by holding spending flat and becoming better and more efficient in everything government does.

Pekau racked up endorsements from other Illinois Republicans, such as former Illinois State Rep. Jeanne Ives, former IL Governor candidate Gary Rabine, Cook County Commissioner Sean Morrison, State Rep. Tim Ozinga, former Secret Service agent and retired Orland Park Police Chief Kevin McCarthy, and DuPage County Sheriff James Mendrick. He’s also accumulated 23 endorsements from current and former mayors in and outside the new IL-06, from towns like Oak Lawn, Justice, Worth, Homer Glen, Addison, Willowbrook, Wheaton, Glen Ellyn, Lisle, Palos Park and more. (See all of Keith Pekau’s endorsements)

Related Patch coverage:

• Casten v Pekau: Can IL's 'Likely Democratic' 6th District Be Flipped?
• Awake Illinois Sends Casten 'Cease and Desist' Letter For 'Defamation
• 'Drag Queen Bingo' For Kids Inappropriate Use Of Library Funds: Pekau