Former Illinois GOP chair: Duckworth not guaranteed to face Kirk

Posted on December 16, 2015

By Adam Studzinski

BLOOMINGTON – A general election face-off between incumbent U.S. Sen. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) and Democratic U.S. Rep. Tammy Duckworth (D-Hoffman Estates) is far from a sure thing.

That’s according to former Illinois Republican Party Chairman Pat Brady. Brady told WJBC’s Scott Laughlin Duckworth first needs to get past her primary election challenger, Andrea Zopp.

“Who’s a double-Ivy League African American woman, who is a former first assistant state’s attorney, former U.S. attorney,” said Brady. “(She’s) very, very sharp, very articulate, and a great candidate.”

State Sen. Napoleon Harris (D-Harvey) is seeking the nomination as well. Brady added if Duckworth gets past those two, it doesn’t get any easier.

“The bigger problem for her is, to win this race she’s got to run on Barack Obama’s foreign policy and national security – and Secretary Clinton’s – agenda,” said Brady. “And seven in 10 Americans right now, seven in 10, I’ve never seen a number this high, think the country’s on the wrong track and the number one issue right now is national security.”

Brady said Kirk is a person people trust when it comes to national security and foreign policy issues.

Kirk faces his own primary challenge from James Marter of Oswego and former Congressional candidate Elizabeth Pahlke.

Adam Studzinski can be reached at [email protected].

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