Casten Declares Victory In 6th Congressional District Primary

ILLINOIS — U.S. Rep. Sean Casten handily fended off two challengers in the Democratic primary in Illinois’ 6th Congressional District spanning DuPage County and Southwest Cook County.

The Associated Press called Casten the winner at 7:45 p.m.

Casten 44,352 (77%)

Ahmad 7,760 (13%)
Hughes 5357 (10%)

63 percent of votes counted

All results are unofficial

He defeated Mahnoor Ahmad, a public health advocate from Oak Brook. Ahmad, a progressive, campaigned on a complete ceasefire in Gaza and Medicare for all.

Hughes, of Chicago, made his fourth run for the U.S. House of Representatives in the Democratic primary.

The incumbent congressman declared victory in the IL-06 Democratic primary in the following statement:

“First and foremost, thank you. Thank you to the voters who have entrusted me once again with their vote. Thank you to the volunteers who knocked on doors, made phone calls, and helped get out the vote. And, thank you to my wife, Kara, and daughter, Audrey, for all of their sacrifices.

“As we turn to the general election, we must remind ourselves what is at stake. I’m running for re-election to defend women’s reproductive rights, protect American democracy, end gun violence, and combat the climate crisis. Those are values that are shared throughout the 6th District but opposed by the far-right efforts that want to take this seat. I’m confident that, as they have time and again, voters will side with decency, humanity, science, and democracy.

“More than anything else, thank you to all who participated in this election. You are the reason the American experiment works.”

Casten famously toppled six-term Republican Congressman Peter Roskam in 2018, flipping the 6th Congressional District to Democrat for the first time in 43 years.

In the then-newly redrawn IL-06, Casten proved he could get votes when he beat fellow incumbent — one-term Congresswoman Marie Newman — in the 2022 primary after the 3rd Congressional District was rolled into IL-06 following the decennial remap.

He went on to beat a formidable Republican opponent, Orland Park Mayor Keith Pekau.

Casten faces Republican Niki Conforti in November.