It was a battle of dueling endorsements and platforms in the newly-drawn 3rd Congressional district, but it was Delia Ramírez who secured the Democratic nomination for the seat, NBC News projects.
The 3rd district, which includes part of Chicago’s South Side as well as portions of suburban Cook and DuPage counties, was redrawn after the 2020 Census, leaving it without an incumbent in the race.
The current occupant of that seat, Rep. Marie Newman, instead was forced to run for the Democratic nomination in the 6th district against fellow incumbent Rep. Sean Casten.
While Juan Aguirre and Iymen Chehade were also on the ballot in the race, the election largely came down to Ramirez, a state representative who has served in the General Assembly since 2018, and Villegas, a Chicago alderman who sought the seat in an effort to expand tax credits for parents and to mandate family and medical leave at the federal level.
The two candidates both picked up significant endorsements in the lead-up to the election, with current Rep. Jesús “Chuy” García backing Ramirez and former Rep. Luis Gutierrez endorsing Villegas.
Ultimately it was Ramírez who prevailed in the district, and she will head into the November election as the strong favorite against Republican candidate Justin Burau, a businessman who ran unopposed on the GOP ticket.
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