Dem Casten upsets Roskam to flip Illinois House seat

Sean Casten, a clean-energy executive, pulled off a major upset Tuesday, unseating six-term GOP Rep. Peter Roskam in Illinois’s 6th Congressional District.

It was one of the most hotly-contested races in the country, with Democrats making the seat one of their top targets.

{mosads}The wealthy suburban Chicago district has traditionally leaned red and Roskam handily won reelection in 2016. But the district also voted for Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton by 7 points that year.

Polls showed Casten with a slight edge over the incumbent in the days leading up to the vote. The Cook Political Report also put the race in the “Lean Democratic” column and Democrats outspent Republicans in the race.

In an election that has widely been seen as a referendum on President Trump, Roskam also found himself under attack over his role in helping pass the Republican tax law. Roskam sits on the powerful House Ways and Means Committee, which writes tax laws.