Krishnamoorthi Beats DiCianni In 8th District

CHICAGO (AP) – Democrat Raja Krishnamoorthi has won a Chicago-area U.S. House seat over Republican former Elmhurst Mayor Pete DiCianni.

The race was an open contest after Democratic U.S. Rep. Tammy Duckworth jumped into the U.S. Senate race.

Krishnamoorthi, a laboratory executive, is a former deputy state treasurer and assistant attorney general from Schaumburg. He edged out a suburban village president and a state senator in the primary.

Krishnamoorthi led the 8th District race in name recognition and endorsements, including from major newspapers and President Barack Obama, for whom Krishnamoorthi did policy work during his U.S. Senate campaign.

He becomes the first Indian-American elected to Congress from Illinois.

Krishnamoorthi made an unsuccessful congressional bid 2012 and narrowly lost the 2010 Democratic primary for Illinois comptroller.

The district covers a region northwest of Chicago.

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