Stratton Wins Contested 5th District State Representative Race

Stratton
Democrat Juliana Stratton talks to residents at an apartment complex in Chicago last February. Charles Rex Arbogast / AP
Stratton
Democrat Juliana Stratton talks to residents at an apartment complex in Chicago last February. Charles Rex Arbogast / AP

Stratton Wins Contested 5th District State Representative Race

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Democratic Illinois state Rep. Ken Dunkin has lost his seat in a contentious contest that had President Barack Obama endorsing his opponent, Juliana Stratton.

Dunkin drew the wrath of his party after voting against pro-labor legislation and siding with Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner, who has made restricting the power of unions one of his priorities.

Obama chided Dunkin during a speech at the Illinois statehouse last month, telling him to “sit down” after Dunkin stood and applauded the president’s comment about how voting with the other party doesn’t make someone a sellout.

Obama recorded radio and television spots endorsing Stratton a week before the election. Immediately before the endorsement, Stratton’s campaign accused Dunkin’s team of paying people for votes. A Dunkin spokesman has called the allegations “baseless.”