Lipinski, Oberweis win Illinois primaries

Rep. Daniel Lipinski (D) easily survived a primary challenge from the left, while dairy magnate Jim Oberweis won a race for the GOP nomination to replace former Rep. Dennis Hastert (R) in the Illinois congressional primaries Tuesday night.

Scientist Bill Foster led 2006 nominee John Laesch on the Democratic side in Hastert’s district, but while he looks headed for the special election next month, the regular primary was too close to call early Wednesday morning.

{mosads}In retiring Rep. Ray LaHood’s (R), district, state Rep. Aaron Schock grabbed the GOP nomination with more than two-thirds of the vote with almost all precincts in. No Democrats were on the ballot in that race after the party’s candidate, former NBA coach Dick Versace, dropped out.

Democrat Dan Seals won an easy primary victory over former Clinton Administration official Jay Footlik to get his second straight crack at Rep. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.), taking about 80 percent of the vote.

Lipinski defeated Democrat Mark Pera 53-26 with 89 percent of precincts reporting.

In Hastert’s district, concurrent primaries were being held for the November election and next month’s special election.

Oberweis led state Sen. Chris Lauzen in both races with 56 percent of the vote and 92 percent of precincts reporting.

Foster led Laesch 43-41 in the regular primary and 50-42 in the special primary, which included one less candidate. Foster has grabbed the attention of national Democrats with a well-funded campaign supplemented by his personal money.

In another contested primary, wealthy businessman Steve Greenberg took a majority of the vote to defeat a pair of GOPers and line himself up for a run at Rep. Melissa Bean (D).

In retiring Rep. Jerry Weller’s (R) district, an expected matchup between New Lenox Mayor Tim Baldermann (R) and state Rep. Debbie Halvorson (D) is now set, as Baldermann cruised to victory and Halvorson was unopposed.

Nationally recruited Iraq veteran Jill Morgenthaler also won the Democratic nod to face Rep. Peter Roskam (R).