Democrat Announces Bid to Succeed Tammy Duckworth (Updated)

By Emily Cahn

Posted March 31, 2015 at 8:30am

Update 12:44 p.m. | Raja Krishnamoorthi, the former Illinois deputy treasurer, announced Tuesday he will run for Congress in Illinois’ 8th District — an open-seat race thanks to Democratic Rep. Tammy Duckworth’s Senate bid .

“Tammy has been an excellent Representative for this district,” Krishnamoorthi said in a release. “I want to continue Tammy’s advocacy for working families, with a focus on helping more people to succeed in the new economy.”

Krishnamoorthi ran in the 8th District in 2012, losing the Democratic primary to Duckworth by a wide margin.

He proved, however, to be a strong fundraiser, raising more than $1 million.

Krishnamoorthi is unlikely to have the field to himself. State Sen. Michael Noland, a longtime legislator and Navy veteran, also announced an exploratory committee on Tuesday, and state Sen. Tom Cullerton is mulling a bid .

Whoever emerges from the Democratic primary is the heavy favorite to carry the suburban Chicago-based seat in 2016. President Barack Obama carried the 8th District by a 17-point margin in 2012.