Iraq Vet Tammy Duckworth Making Second Bid for Congress

Six years after losing a heartbreaker in a bid for the Illinois congressional seat vacated by the late Henry Hyde, Iraq war veteran Tammy Duckworth is again running for the U.S. House.

Duckworth, who lost both of her legs and the partial use of her right arm when her helicopter was shot down in Iraq, plans to seek the state’s newly-configured 8^th congressional district seat held by freshman Republican Rep. Joe Walsh.

Duckworth, 43, recently stepped down as Assistant Secretary of Public and Intergovernmental Affairs at the Veteran’s Administration.  Prior to working in the Obama administration, Duckworth had served as the director of the Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs.

“My father served in Vietnam, my brother served in the Coast Guard, and my husband continues to serve on active duty, because our family believes in this great nation.  There are plenty of folks in Washington who serve political ideology and personal ambition.  I want to continue serving our county,” she said in a statement announcing her candidacy on Wednesday.

“It’s time to tell John Boehner, Karl Rove and the tea party crowd that you can’t balance the budget on the backs of seniors,” she continued.  “You can’t serve multi-national corporations first and American families last.  And you won’t build a better future by tearing down our economy brick by brick and shipping it overseas.”

Despite relatively high name recognition in the newly drawn district, Duckworth is expected to face a Democratic primary challenge from Raja Krishnamoorthi, a 37-year-old high-tech entrepreneur and former Deputy Treasurer of Illinois.

Krishnamoorthi, who lost a Democratic primary bid for Illinois state comptroller last year — losing narrowly to David E. Miller, a state legislator from Lynwood — said that he has no intention of stepping aside for the better-known Duckworth.

“I respect Tammy Duckworth and any others who would enter the race,” said Krishnamoorthi in welcoming Duckworth’s candidacy.  “That said, I am focused on the issues that matter to voters.  The outpouring of support for our campaign … shows voters are looking for a candidate who’s been living in the district raising their family and who has the private and public sector experience necessary to strengthen our economy.”

Krishnamoorthi, the son of Indian immigrants, reportedly raised $400,000 for his congressional campaign during the second quarter.

Duckworth and Krishnamoorthi both reside in Hoffman Estates, a northwestern Chicago suburb.