A Battle for Hyde's Seat

By Amy Hart in News on Dec 19, 2005 2:13PM

Henry Hyde, 6th District Congressman since 1975, is retiring next year, and the battle to take over his seat is heating up.

Democrat Christine Cegelis, pictured at right, did respectably against Hyde in 2004, and appeared to be the leading Democrat in the race to represent the rapidly changing district, which includes parts of Cook and DuPage counties.

However, Rahm Emanuel, 5th District Congressman and Chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, has not been impressed with Cegelis' fundraising abilities. Emanuel also believes that war veterans will make attractive candidates. As such, he recruited decorated Iraq War veteran Tammy Duckworth, pictured at left, to run for Congress.

Duckworth, an Army National Guard pilot who lost both of her legs when Iraqi insurgents downed her helicopter in 2004, formally announced her bid for Congress on Sunday with the support of not only Emanuel, but also Senators Dick Durbin and Barack Obama.

Duckworth appeared on ABC News' This Week with George Stephanopoulos on Sunday to discuss her opposition to the Iraq War.

Cegelis has used her blog to welcome Duckworth to the race, but she surely has to be reeling over the media coverage and insider support Duckworth has already received.

Democrat Lindy Scott and Republican Peter Roskam are also in the hunt to take over Hyde's seat.