Angleica Sanchez, Contributing Writer

After one of the more controversial campaigns of this election season Democrat Tammy Duckworth, a disabled Iraq war veteran in her second run for Congress, defeated Republican Joe Walsh to represent the 8th Congressional District in Illinois.

In the last days of the election, Walsh continued to receive funds, including a last-minute $1 million for ads against Duckworth’s increasingly aggressive campaign.

The congressman was trailing behind Duckworth’s 10-point lead in the polls for weeks, and as election night reports showed Duckworth leading with 56 percent.

It was a campaign that became personal when an ad from Duckworth’s campaign called Walsh a “deadbeat dad” and quoted an article in the Sun-Times that revealed his ex-wife sued him for $117,000 in outstanding child support.

Weeks later a plea in a press conference and a campaign ad made by Joe Walsh Jr. asked Duckworth to pull the ad he said was hurtful to his family. Duckworth refused to pull the ad, saying the congressman was a “bully” who can’t take criticism.

Joe Walsh was also criticized countless times in Duckworth’s campaign for his take on women’s issues a statement he made, “I am pro life without exception.”

“Illinois voters sent a clear message to the Tea Party by voting out Joe Walsh, one of their loudest mouthpieces in Congress,” said Eric Ming, New Media Director of CREDO SuperPAC in a press release moments after the results were in. “This victory would not have been possible without the volunteers who worked tirelessly to defeat Joe Walsh for his attacks on Illinois women and seniors. We couldn’t be happier with the voters of Illinois for kicking out the most offensive Congressman in the country.”

Through Election Day, local CREDO volunteers knocked on 6,402 doors and made 129,658 phone calls in IL-08. Volunteers made very personal interactions with voters, which made a huge difference in ensuring that the voters of Illinois’s 8th district would vote for the challenger Tammy Duckworth.

The 8th District covers areas as far west into Elgin, up to the north of Wheeling and south to Lombard

On the issue of education, Walsh firmly believes that parents and local and state officials are in the best position to determine what is needed in their school system.

At Walsh’s election rally held at the Medinah Shrine Center in Addison, Ill., Chief of Staff Justin Roth said.

“Mr Walsh has a background in education. He was a history teacher, then he spent years in the inner cities of Chicago schools trying to give minority students the same opportunities as folks living in the wealthier suburbs.”