Tammy Duckworth | |
|---|---|
 Official portrait, 2017 | |
| United States Senator fromIllinois | |
| Assumed office January 3, 2017 Serving with Dick Durbin | |
| Preceded by | Mark Kirk |
| Vice Chair of theDemocratic National Committee | |
| In office January 21, 2021 – February 1, 2025 | |
| Chair | Jaime Harrison |
| Preceded by | Grace Meng |
| Succeeded by | Various |
| Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromIllinois's8th district | |
| In office January 3, 2013 – January 3, 2017 | |
| Preceded by | Joe Walsh |
| Succeeded by | Raja Krishnamoorthi |
| Assistant Secretary of Veterans Affairs for Public and Intergovernmental Affairs | |
| In office April 24, 2009 – June 30, 2011 | |
| President | Barack Obama |
| Preceded by | Lisette M. Mondello |
| Succeeded by | Michael Galloucis |
| Director of theIllinois Department of Veterans Affairs | |
| In office November 21, 2006 – February 8, 2009 | |
| Governor | |
| Preceded by | Roy Dolgos |
| Succeeded by | Daniel Grant |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Ladda Tammy Duckworth (1968-03-12)March 12, 1968 (age 57) Bangkok, Thailand |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 2 |
| Education | |
| Signature |  |
| Website | Senate website Campaign website |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Branch/service | |
| Years of service |
|
| Rank | Lieutenant colonel |
| Unit | |
| Battles/wars | Iraq War (WIA) |
| Awards | |
Tammy Duckworth speaks onfood insecurity among military families Recorded September 14, 2022 | |
Ladda Tammy Duckworth[3] (born March 12, 1968) is an American politician andArmy National Guard veteran serving as thejuniorUnited States senator fromIllinois, a seat she has held since 2017. A member of theDemocratic Party, she representedIllinois's 8th congressional district in theU.S. House of Representatives from 2013 to 2017.
Born inBangkok, Thailand, and raised inHonolulu, Hawaii, Duckworth was educated at theUniversity of Hawaii at Manoa andGeorge Washington University. She joined theUnited States Army Reserve in 1992, and served as aUnited States Army helicopter pilot in theIraq War. In 2004, when herBlack Hawk helicopter was hit by arocket-propelled grenade fired byIraqi insurgents, she lost both legs and some mobility in her right arm. She was the first female double amputee from the war.[4] Despite her injuries, she was awarded a medical waiver to continue serving in theIllinois Army National Guard for another ten years until she retired as alieutenant colonel in 2014.[5]
Duckworth ran unsuccessfully for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives in 2006, then served as director of theIllinois Department of Veterans Affairs from 2006 to 2009 and as assistant secretary for public and intergovernmental affairs at theU.S. Department of Veterans Affairs from 2009 to 2011. In 2012, Duckworth was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, where she served two terms. She was elected to the U.S. Senate in2016, defeatingRepublican incumbentMark Kirk.[6]
Duckworth is the firstThai American woman elected to Congress, the first person born in Thailand elected to Congress, the first woman with a disability elected to Congress, the first female double amputee in the Senate, and the first senator to give birth while in office. She is the secondAsian American woman to serve in the Senate, afterMazie Hirono.[7] Duckworth serves on the SenateArmed Services;Commerce, Science, & Transportation;Foreign Relations; andVeterans' Affairs Committees.
Ladda Tammy Duckworth was born on March 12, 1968, inBangkok, Thailand, to an American father, Franklin Duckworth, and a Thai mother, Lamai Sompornpairin.[8] Her father, who died in 2005,[9] was a veteran of theU.S. Army andU.S. Marine Corps[10] who traced his family's roots to theAmerican Revolution.[11] Duckworth is also descended from Henry Coe, her 6th-great grandfather, who enslaved four people mentioned in freedom clauses of his 1827 will; according to Duckworth, although "gut wrenching" . . . "it's a disservice to our nation and our history to walk away from this [fact]. If I am going to claim—and be proud that—I am aDaughter of the American Revolution, then I have to acknowledge that I am also a daughter of people who enslaved other people".[12] Her mother isThai Chinese,[13] originally fromChiang Mai.[14] Her father was a Baptist,[15] who after his military service worked with theUnited Nations and international companies in refugee, housing, and development programs.[16] As the family moved around Southeast Asia for her father's work, Duckworth became fluent in Thai and Indonesian, in addition to English.[17]
Duckworth attended schools outside the U.S. but based on a standard American curriculum:Singapore American School, theInternational School Bangkok, and theJakarta International School.[18][19] The family moved toHonolulu, Hawaii, when Duckworth was 16, and she attended Honolulu'sPresident William McKinley High School, where she participated in track and field and graduated in 1985.[20] Because of a difference in the grade levels between the school systems she attended, Duckworth skipped half of her ninth grade year and half of her tenth.[21] She was aGirl Scout, and earned her First Class (Gold Award).[22] Her father was unemployed for a time, and the family relied on public assistance.[16] She graduated from theUniversity of Hawaii at Manoa in 1989 with a Bachelor of Arts inpolitical science. In 1992, she received aMaster of Arts ininternational affairs fromGeorge Washington University'sElliott School of International Affairs.[23][24]
After moving to Illinois, Duckworth began aDoctor of Philosophy program atNorthern Illinois University, with interests in public health and the politics of southeast Asia, which was interrupted by her war service.[25] She completed a PhD in human services atCapella University School of Public Service Leadership in March 2015.[26][27] Her dissertation was titledExploring Illinois physicians' experience using electronic medical records (EMR) via the UTAUT model.[27]
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Following in the footsteps of her father, who served inWorld War II and theVietnam War,[10] and ancestors who served in every major conflict since theRevolutionary War,[11] Duckworth joined the ArmyReserve Officers' Training Corps[28] in 1990 as a graduate student at George Washington University.[29][30] She became acommissioned officer in theUnited States Army Reserve in 1992 and chose to flyhelicopters[28] because it was one of the few combat jobs open to women at that time.[31] As a member of the Army Reserve, she went toflight school, later transferring to theArmy National Guard and in 1996 entering the Illinois Army National Guard.[28] Duckworth also worked as a staff supervisor atRotary International headquarters inEvanston, Illinois,[32][33] and was the coordinator of the Center for Nursing Research atNorthern Illinois University.[34]
Duckworth was working toward a PhD in political science atNorthern Illinois University, with research interests in thepolitical economy andpublic health of southeast Asia, when she was deployed to Iraq in 2004.[32] She lost her right leg near the hip and her left leg below the knee[35] from injuries sustained on November 12, 2004, when theUH-60 Black Hawk helicopter she was co-piloting was hit by arocket-propelled grenade fired byIraqi insurgents.[36] She was the first American female double amputee from the Iraq War.[4] The explosion severely broke her right arm and tore tissue from it, necessitating major surgery to repair it. Duckworth received aPurple Heart[36] on December 3 and was promoted to the rank of major on December 21 atWalter Reed Army Medical Center,[37] where she was presented with anAir Medal andArmy Commendation Medal.[36] She retired from the Illinois Army National Guard in October 2014 as a lieutenant colonel.[38]
In 2011, theDaughters of the American Revolution erected a statue with Duckworth's likeness and that ofMolly Pitcher inMount Vernon, Illinois. The statue is dedicated to female veterans.[39]
In 2019, Duckworth participated in theNational Air and Space Museum's "The Military Women AviatorsOral History Initiative (MWAOHI)" project alongside fourteen other veteran women aviators, includingOlga Custodio,Sarah Deal,Stayce Harris,Jeannie Leavitt,Nicole Malachowski,Sally Murphy,Tammie Shults,Jacqueline Van Ovost,Lucy Young, andKim "K. C." Campbell.[40]
On November 21, 2006, several weeks after losing her first congressional campaign, Duckworth was appointed director of theIllinois Department of Veterans Affairs by GovernorRod Blagojevich.[41][42] She served in that position until February 8, 2009. While director, she was credited with starting a program to help veterans withpost-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and veterans with brain injuries.[43]
On September 17, 2008, Duckworth attended a campaign event forDan Seals, the Democratic candidate forIllinois's 10th congressional district. She used vacation time, but violated Illinois law by going to the event in a state-owned van that was equipped for a person with physical disabilities. She acknowledged the mistake and repaid the state for the use of the van.[44]
In 2009, two Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs employees at the Anna Veterans' Home in Union County filed a lawsuit against Duckworth.[45] The lawsuit alleged that she wrongfully terminated one employee and threatened and intimidated another for bringing reports of abuse and misconduct of veterans when she was head of the Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs.[46] Duckworth was represented in the suit by theIllinois Attorney General's office.[47] The case was dismissed twice but refilings were allowed.[48][49] The case settled in June 2016 for $26,000 with no admission of wrongdoing.[48] The plaintiffs later indicated they no longer wanted to settle, but the judge gave them 21 days to sign the settlement and canceled the trial.[50][51]
On February 3, 2009, President Barack Obama nominated Duckworth to be the Assistant Secretary of Public and Intergovernmental Affairs for theUnited States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).[52] and theUnited States Senate confirmed her for the position on April 22.[53] As Assistant Secretary, she coordinated a joint initiative with theU.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to help end Veteran homelessness, worked to address the unique challenges faced by female as well as Native American Veterans, and created the Office of Online Communications to improve the VA's accessibility, especially among young Veterans.[54] Duckworth resigned her position in June 2011 in order to launch her campaign for the U.S. House of Representatives in Illinois's 8th congressional district in the 2012 election.[55]
After longtime incumbent RepublicanHenry Hyde announced his retirement from Congress, several candidates began campaigning for the open seat. Duckworth won the Democratic primary with a plurality of 44%, defeating 2004 nominee Christine Cegelis with 40%, andWheaton College professor Lindy Scott with 16%.State SenatorPeter Roskam was unopposed in the Republican primary. For the general election, Duckworth was endorsed byEMILY's List, a political action committee that supports female Democratic candidates who back abortion rights.[56] She was also endorsed by theBrady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence and theFraternal Order of Police.[57][58] While she raised $4.5 million to Roskam's $3.44 million, Duckworth lost by 4,810 votes, receiving 49% to Roskam's 51%.[59]
In July 2011, Duckworth launched her campaign to run in 2012 forIllinois's 8th congressional district. She defeated formerDeputy Treasurer of IllinoisRaja Krishnamoorthi for the Democratic nomination on March 20, 2012, then faced incumbent RepublicanJoe Walsh in the general election.[60] Duckworth received the endorsement of both theChicago Tribune and theDaily Herald.[61][62] Walsh generated controversy when in July 2012, at a campaign event, he accused Duckworth of politicizing her military service and injuries, saying "my God, that's all she talks about. Our true heroes, the men and women who served us, it's the last thing in the world they talk about." Walsh called the controversy over his comments "a political ploy to distort my words and distract voters" and said that "Of course Tammy Duckworth is a hero ... I have called her a hero hundreds of times."[63]
On November 6, 2012, Duckworth defeated Walsh 55%–45%,[64] making her the first Asian-American from Illinois in Congress,[65] the first woman with a disability elected to Congress,[66] and the first member of Congress born inThailand.[67]
In the 2014 general election, Duckworth faced Republican nominee Larry Kaifesh, aUnited States Marine Corps officer who had recently left active duty as acolonel.[68] She defeated him with 56% of the vote.[69]
Duckworth was sworn into office on January 3, 2013.[70]
On April 3, 2013, Duckworth publicly returned 8.4% ($1,218) of her congressional salary for that month to theUnited States Department of Treasury in solidarity with furloughed government workers.[71]
On June 26, 2013, during a hearing of theHouse Oversight and Government Reform Committee, Duckworth received national media attention after questioning Strong Castle CEO Braulio Castillo on a $500 million government contract the company had been awarded based on Castillo's disabled veteran status.[72][73] Castillo had injured his ankle at the US Military Academy's prep school,USMAPS, in 1984.[74]
On March 30, 2015, Duckworth announced that she would challenge incumbent Republican U.S. SenatorMark Kirk in the 2016 Senate election in Illinois.[75] She defeated Andrea Zopp andNapoleon Harris in the March 15, 2016, Democratic primary.[76]
During a televised debate on October 27, 2016, Duckworth talked about her ancestors' past service in the U.S. military. Kirk responded, "I'd forgotten that your parents came all the way from Thailand to serve George Washington." This led theHuman Rights Campaign to rescind its endorsement of Kirk and switch it to Duckworth, calling Kirk's comment "deeply offensive and racist."[77][78]
Duckworth was endorsed by Barack Obama, who actively campaigned for her.[79]
On November 8, Duckworth defeated Kirk, 55% to 40%.[80] She andKamala Harris, who was also elected in 2016, are the second and third female Asian American senators, afterMazie Hirono, who was elected in 2012.[6]
In March 2021, Duckworth announced her candidacy for reelection in 2022.[81] On November 8, 2022, she was reelected, defeating Republican nomineeKathy Salvi.[82] The win made Duckworth the first woman reelected to the Senate from Illinois.[83]
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According to The Center for Effective Lawmaking (CEL), a joint partnership between the University of Virginia'sFrank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy and Vanderbilt University,[84] Duckworth's "Legislative Effectiveness Score" (LES) is "Exceeds Expectations" as a freshman senator in the 115th Congress (2017–18), the 11th highest out of 48 Democratic senators.[85]
GovTrack's Report Card on Duckworth for the 115th Congress found that among Senate freshmen, she ranked first in favorably reporting bills out of committee and "Got influential cosponsors the most often compared to Senate freshmen."[86] GovTrack also found that in the first session of the 116th Congress, Duckworth ranked first in favorably reporting bills out of committee and "Got influential cosponsors the most often compared to Senate sophomores."[87]
During the 115th Congress, Duckworth was credited with saving theAmericans with Disabilities Act.[88] Specifically, she led public opposition to a controversial bill, H.R. 620,[89] and led 42 senators in pledging to oppose any effort to pass H.R. 620 through the Senate.[90] The Veterans Service Organization and Paralyzed Veterans of America recognized Duckworth's leadership in defending the Americans with Disabilities Act.[91]
In January 2018, when the federal government shut down after the Senate could not agree on a funding bill, Duckworth responded to President Trump's accusations that the Democrats were putting "unlawful immigrants" ahead of the military:
I spent my entire adult life looking out for the well-being, the training, the equipping of the troops for whom I was responsible. Sadly, this is something that the current occupant of the Oval Office does not seem to care to do—and I will not be lectured about what our military needs by a five-deferment draft dodger. And I have a message for Cadet Bone Spurs: If you cared about our military, you'd stop baiting Kim Jong Un into a war that could put 85,000 American troops, and millions of innocent civilians, in danger.[92]
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In 2018, Duckworth became the first U.S. senator to give birth while in office.[93] Shortly afterward, the Senate passed Senate Resolution 463, which she introduced on April 12, 2018,[94] by unanimous consent. The resolution changed Senate rules so that a senator may bring a child under one year old to the Senate floor during votes.[95] The day after the rules were changed, Duckworth's daughter became the first baby on the Senate floor.[94][96]
On April 15, 2020, the Trump administration invited Duckworth to join a bipartisan task force on the reopening of the economy amid theCOVID-19 pandemic.[97]
Duckworth was publicly critical of Trump's decision to nominateAmy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court in September 2020. A devoutCatholic, Barrett is a member of a group that considersin vitro fertilization immoral. Duckworth said that Barrett's membership in such an organization was "disqualifying and, frankly, insulting to every parent".[98]
The Center for Effective Lawmaking, a joint initiative of theUniversity of Virginia andVanderbilt University, ranked Duckworth the fifth-most effective Democratic senator in the116th Congress and the most effective Democratic senator on transportation policy.[99] Craig Volden and Alan Wiseman, co-directors of the Center for Effective Lawmaking, said, "While still in her first term, Senator Tammy Duckworth has risen to the top five among effective Democratic lawmakers in the Senate. She sponsored 77 bills in the 116th Congress, with four of them passing the Republican-controlled Senate and two becoming law."[100]
On January 3, 2021, Duckworth received a vote forSpeaker of the House of Representatives fromJared Golden despite not being a member of that legislative body and therefore not a serious candidate.[101]
Duckworth was participating in the certification of the2021 United States Electoral College vote count when Trump supportersstormed the U.S. Capitol. In the wake of the attack, she called Trump "a threat to our nation" and called for his immediate removal from office through the invocation of theTwenty-fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution or impeachment.[102] Two days later, on January 8, she also called for the resignation of RepresentativeMary Miller, who had quotedAdolf Hitler during a speech on January 5.[103]
In June 2022,President Biden sent Duckworth toTaiwan, where she held a press conference withTsai Ing-wen to announce the U.S.-Taiwan Initiative on 21st-Century Trade in the wake of fears of angering China by the other partners to the May 2022Indo-Pacific Economic Framework.[104][105] Her mission was planned in conjunction with theOffice of the United States Trade Representative, which leads the Initiative for Washington.[105]
Duckworth is the sponsor of S. 3635, the Public Safety Officer Support Act of 2022, which would provide line of duty death designation to law enforcement and other public safety officers who die as a result of traumatic brain injury, PTSD, and other "silent" injuries.[106] The bill is based on the death of Washington, D.C.police officer Jeffrey Smith in the aftermath of theJanuary 6, 2021, Capitol attack. Smith died of post-concussive syndrome after suffering repeated attacks at the Capitol.[107][108]
In February 2023, Duckworth was named chair of theSubcommittee on Aviation Safety, Operations and Innovation of theCommittee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.[109] She andDeb Fischer sponsored a bill to improve reporting on complaints from disabled airline passengers.[110] In June 2023, Duckworth criticized SenatorKyrsten Sinema for proposing legislation to limit the amount of time anairplane pilot needs to train forcertification.[111]
In November 2023, Duckworth organized a meeting with Israeli defense officials to discuss their strategy in theGaza war.[112] When asked whether she would support a ceasefire in theGaza Strip, she replied that it "would not help the residents of Gaza nor would it help the security of Israel".[113]
Duckworth spoke at the2008,2012,2016,2020, and2024Democratic National Conventions.[117][118][119] She was the permanent co-chair of the 2020 Democratic National Convention.[120] At the 2020 convention, she called Trump "coward-in-chief" for not supporting the American military.[121][122]
Duckworth was vetted as a possible running mate duringJoe Biden'svice presidential candidate selection.[123]Kamala Harris was selected instead.[124] Biden nominated Duckworth as vice chair of theDemocratic National Committee, along withGretchen Whitmer,Keisha Lance Bottoms andFilemon Vela Jr.[125]
In April 2019, Duckworth was one of 12 senators to sign a bipartisan letter to top senators on the Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development advocating that the Energy Department be granted maximum funding for carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS), arguing that American job growth could be stimulated by investment in viable options to capture carbon emissions and expressing disagreement with Trump's 2020 budget request to combine the two federal programs that include carbon capture research.[126] She was a member of the Senate Democrats' Special Committee on the Climate Crisis, which published a report of its findings in August 2020.[127]
During her unsuccessful 2006 congressional campaign, Duckworth called on Congress to audit the estimated $437 billion spent on overseas military and foreign aid since September 11, 2001.[128]
On September 30, 2006, Duckworth gave the Democratic Party's response to PresidentGeorge W. Bush's weekly radio address. In it, she criticized Bush'sIraq War strategy.[129]
In October 2006,The Sunday Times reported that Duckworth agreed with GeneralSir Richard Dannatt, theBritish Army chief, that the presence of coalition troops was exacerbating the conflict in Iraq.[130]Duckworth supports continuedU.S. military aid to Israel and opposes the movement forBoycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) againstIsrael. She opposes Israel's plan toannex parts of the occupiedWest Bank.[131]
In May 2019, Duckworth was a cosponsor of the South China Sea and East China Sea Sanctions Act,[132] a bipartisan bill reintroduced byMarco Rubio andBen Cardin that was intended to disruptChina's consolidation or expansion of its claims of jurisdiction over both the sea and air space indisputed zones in the South China Sea.[133]
On June 6, 2021, Duckworth and SenatorsDan Sullivan andChristopher Coons visitedTaipei in anU.S. Air ForceC-17 Globemaster IIItransport to meetPresidentTsai Ing-wen andMinisterJoseph Wu during thepandemic outbreak ofTaiwan to announce President Biden's donation plan of 750,000COVID-19 vaccines included in the globalCOVAX program.[134][135]
Duckworth was rated by theNational Rifle Association of America as having a pro-gun control congressional voting record.[136] A gun owner herself, she cites violence in Chicago as a major influence for her support of gun control. She supportsuniversal background checks, the halting of state-to-state gun trafficking,[137] and a national assault weapons ban.[138]
Duckworth participated in the 2016Chris Murphy gun control filibuster. During the2016 United States House of Representatives sit-in, she hid hermobile phone in her prosthetic leg to prevent it being taken away from her since taking pictures and recording on the House floor is against policy.[137]
In a 2016 interview withGQ magazine, Duckworth said that gaining control of the Senate and "closing the gap" in the House would be necessary to pass firearm restrictions. She also said she believed that moderate Republicans, who support gun control, would have more power if they were not "pushed aside by those folks who are absolutely beholden to the NRA. And so we never get the vote."[137]
Duckworth supportsabortion rights.[139][140] AfterRoe v. Wade was overturned in 2022, she said she was "outraged and horrified" and called the decision a "nightmare" that robbed women of their right to make health care decisions.[141]
Duckworth supported theAffordable Care Act.[142]
Duckworth supports comprehensive immigration reform with a pathway to citizenship for those in the country illegally. She would admit 100,000 Syrian refugees into the United States.[142]
In August 2018, Duckworth was one of 17 senators to sign a letter spearheaded byKamala Harris toUnited States Secretary of Homeland SecurityKirstjen Nielsen demanding that the Trump administration take immediate action in attempting to reunite 539 migrant children with their families, citing each passing day of inaction as intensifying "trauma that this administration has needlessly caused for children and their families seeking humanitarian protection."[143]
In January 2025, Duckworth voted against theLaken Riley Act.[144]
In May 2010,Northern Illinois University awarded Duckworth thehonorary degree ofDoctor of Humane Letters.[145][146] In 2011, Chicago's Access Living honored her for her work on behalf of veterans with disabilities, giving her the Gordon H. Mansfield Congressional Leadership Award.[147]
Duckworth is heavily decorated for her service in Iraq, with over 10 distinct military honors, most notably the Purple Heart, an award her Marine father had also received.[36] In 2010, she was inducted into the Army Women's hall of fame.[148]
FormerRepublican presidential candidate and U.S. senatorBob Dole dedicated his autobiographyOne Soldier's Story in part to Duckworth.[149] Duckworth credits Dole for inspiring her to pursue public service, while she recuperated atWalter Reed Army Medical Center.[150]
Duckworth has been married to Bryan Bowlsbey since 1993.[151] They met during Duckworth's participation in theReserve Officers' Training Corps and served together in the Illinois Army National Guard.[151] ASignal Corps officer, Bowlsbey is also a veteran of the Iraq War.[151][152] Both have since retired from the armed forces.[153]
Duckworth and Bowlsbey have two daughters: Abigail, born in 2014,[154] and Maile, born in 2018.[155] Maile's birth made Duckworth the first U.S. senator to give birth while in office.[155][156] Former SenatorDaniel Akaka from Hawaii helped the couple name both girls; Akaka died on April 6, 2018, three days before Maile was born.[157] Shortly after Maile's birth, a Senate rule change permitted senators to bring children under one year old on the Senate floor to breastfeed.[94] This was a symbolic moment for Duckworth, as she had previously introduced the bipartisan Friendly Airports for Mothers (FAM) Act to ensure new mothers access to safe, clean and accessible lactation rooms in airports.[54] The day after the rule change, Duckworth brought Maile with her while casting a vote, making Duckworth the first senator to cast a vote while holding a baby.[94][96] Duckworth has discussed usingIVF to conceive her daughters after struggling with infertility for 10 years,[158] saying, "my struggle with infertility was more painful than any wound I earned on the battlefield".[159]
Duckworth helped establish the Intrepid Foundation to help injured veterans.[160]
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Duckworth earned the following decorations and awards during her US Army career:
Articles
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | L. Tammy Duckworth | 14,283 | 43.85 | |
| Democratic | Christine Cegelis | 13,159 | 40.40 | |
| Democratic | Lindy Scott | 5,133 | 15.76 | |
| Total votes | 32,575 | 100.0 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Peter J. Roskam | 91,382 | 51.35 | |
| Democratic | L. Tammy Duckworth | 86,572 | 48.65 | |
| Write-in votes | Patricia Elaine Beard | 3 | 0.00 | |
| Total votes | 177,957 | 100.0 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Tammy Duckworth | 17,097 | 66.18 | |
| Democratic | Raja Krishnamoorthi | 8,736 | 33.82 | |
| Total votes | 25,833 | 100.0 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Tammy Duckworth | 123,206 | 54.74 | |
| Republican | Joe Walsh (incumbent) | 101,860 | 45.26 | |
| Total votes | 225,066 | 100.0 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Tammy Duckworth (incumbent) | 84,178 | 55.73 | |
| Republican | Larry Kaifesh | 66,878 | 44.27 | |
| Total votes | 151,056 | 100.0 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Tammy Duckworth | 1,220,128 | 64.38 | |
| Democratic | Andrea Zopp | 455,729 | 24.05 | |
| Democratic | Napoleon Harris | 219,286 | 11.57 | |
| Democratic | Patricia Elaine Beard | 1 | 0.00 | |
| Total votes | 1,895,144 | 100.0 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Tammy Duckworth | 3,012,940 | 54.86 | |
| Republican | Mark Steven Kirk (incumbent) | 2,184,692 | 39.78 | |
| Libertarian | Kenton McMillen | 175,988 | 3.20 | |
| Green | Scott Summers | 117,619 | 2.14 | |
| Write-in votes | Chad Koppie | 408 | 0.01 | |
| Write-in votes | Jim Brown | 106 | 0.00 | |
| Write-in votes | Christopher Aguayo | 77 | 0.00 | |
| Write-in votes | Susana Sandoval | 42 | 0.00 | |
| Write-in votes | Eric Kufi James Stewart | 5 | 0.00 | |
| Write-in votes | Patricia Beard | 1 | 0.00 | |
| Total votes | 5,491,878 | 100.0 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Tammy Duckworth (incumbent) | 2,329,136 | 56.82 | |
| Republican | Kathy Salvi | 1,701,055 | 41.50 | |
| Libertarian | Bill Redpath | 68,671 | 1.68 | |
| Write-in votes | Lowell Martin Seida | 23 | 0.00 | |
| Write-in votes | Connor Vlakancic | 11 | 0.00 | |
| Total votes | 4,098,896 | 100.0 | ||
| External videos | |
|---|---|
 After Words interview with Duckworth onEvery Day Is a Gift, April 10, 2021,C-SPAN |
Finally, we note those new freshmen lawmakers who are off to a promising start in their first two years, scoring in our "Exceeds Expectations" category in their first term in office. Research suggests that performance in a lawmaker's freshman term is highly correlated with subsequent lawmaking effectiveness, as well as with their overall career trajectory.
Among them are two Senators (out of the eleven Senators in their freshman class), John Kennedy of Louisiana and Tammy Duckworth of Illinois. Kennedy sponsored 26 bills, including four that passed the Senate and eventually became law, on issues ranging from national flood insurance and small business disaster loans to mandatory disclosure of corrupt practices among lobbyists. Duckworth shepherded three of her 45 proposed bills into law, including the Veterans Small Business Enhancement Act of 2018.
Sen. Tammy Duckworth is also in her first term as a U.S. Senator. Looking back to the previous Congress, it is worth noting that she was one of only two freshmen Senators in the 115th Congress who was designated to be in our "Exceeds Expectations" categories, and she continues to retain that rating into the 116th Congress, in which she rounds out the top five most effective Democratic lawmakers in the Senate.
Media from Commons
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Data from Wikidata| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Roy Dolgos | Director of theIllinois Department of Veterans Affairs 2006–2009 | Succeeded by Daniel Grant |
| Preceded by | Assistant Secretary of Veterans Affairs for Public and Intergovernmental Affairs 2009–2011 | Succeeded by Michael Galloucis |
| U.S. House of Representatives | ||
| Preceded by | Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromIllinois's 8th congressional district 2013–2017 | Succeeded by |
| Party political offices | ||
| Preceded by | Democratic nominee forU.S. Senator fromIllinois (Class 3) 2016,2022 | Most recent |
| U.S. Senate | ||
| Preceded by | U.S. Senator (Class 3) from Illinois 2017–present Served alongside:Dick Durbin | Incumbent |
| U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial) | ||
| Preceded byas United States Senator fromIndiana | Order of precedence of the United States as United States Senator fromIllinois since January 3, 2017 | Succeeded byas United States Senator fromNevada |
| United States senators by seniority 59th | Succeeded by | |
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