BILL FOSTER WIN IN HASTERT'S DISTRICT HUMILIATES GOP
Bill Foster wins big in Denny Hastert’s old district, the 14th Congretional District. Could this be an omen for Robert Abboud running against a mediocre incumbant Republican, Don Manzullo, in the demographically similar 16th District, which stretches across northern Illinois from McHenry County to the Mississippi River?
This report from TPM Election Central sums it up.
Democrats Win Dennis Hastert's House Seat!
By Eric Kleefeld - March 8, 2008, 9:59PM
In an amazing upset, the Democrats have won the special election for the House seat of former Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-IL), a district that has long been in Republican hands and voted 55%-44% for President Bush in 2004.
With 99% reporting, Democrat Bill Foster, a physicist and businessman, leads Republican businessman and perennial candidate Jim Oberweis by 52%-48%, and has been projected the winner by the Associated Press.
Prediction: The Obama campaign will shop this around to uncommitted super-delegates, as evidence that they can expand the electoral playing field. One thing that helped Foster greatly was a well-organized get out the vote machine that the state party had organized to beef up Obama's totals in the Super Tuesday primary, and Obama himself took the time to cut an ad for Foster's campaign.
And at the very least, Obama can probably count on the support of one particular super-delegate: Congressman-Elect Bill Foster (D-IL).