Melissa Bean is the projected winner in the race for the 8th Congressional District in the United States House of Representatives, according to The Associated Press.
With 60 percent of the vote in, Bean came away with 101,366 votes — or 65.8 percent — to Republican challenger Jennifer Davis's 52,591 votes, or 34.2 percent, unofficial tallies showed as of 9:35 p.m.
The polls closed at 7 p.m. in Illinois.
The win marks Bean's return to Congress. She previously represented the district from 2005 to 2011, serving on the financial services and small business committees.
Bean's top campaign issues included restoring the American Dream by strengthening the middle class and expanding opportunities, supporting comprehensive immigration reform while opposing Trump's mass deportation, fighting for affordable healthcare, according to her campaign website.
Raja Krishnamoorthi, who held the seat beginning in 2017, instead ran in the U.S. Senate race to take over the seat held by Sen. Dick Durbin. He lost in the Democratic primary in March.
Political newcomer Davis ran to bring common sense business practices and family-first values to Washington. Her values are rooted in hard work, faith and family, she wrote on her campaign site.
Davis's goals included revitalizing small business, reforming education, implementing a fairer immigration system and preserving the American Dream.
As of the 2020 redistricting, District 8 still represents a part of northern Cook County, but it also includes parts of northern DuPage County, northeast Kane County and a part of the Chicago neighborhood of O'Hare.
Election results are unofficial until certified by election authorities. This story will be updated as additional vote totals become available.
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