Bean set to return to Capitol Hill after Illinois House victory

Former Rep. Melissa Bean (D-Ill.) is projected to return to Capitol Hill after defeating Republican opponent Jennifer Davis for the House seat left open by Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.), according to Decision Desk HQ.

Bean led Davis by more than 30 percentage points with 24 percent of the vote reported, according to DDHQ as of 8:46 p.m. EST Tuesday.

Bean previously represented an iteration of the Chicago-area 8th District until she lost a bid for a fourth House term amid the 2010 Tea Party wave. She credited the loss to her continual defense of the Affordable Care Act while she served in Congress, according to her campaign website .

She competed in a crowded Democratic primary in March against seven other candidates and garnered around 4,000 more votes than Junaid Ahmed, who came in second. Her primary win and campaign was backed by Elect Chicago Women — aligned with the American Israel Public Affairs Committee — and other AI-focused lobby groups , according to Federal Election Commission filings .

Bean campaigned on strengthening the middle class, greater oversight of Immigration and Customs Enforcement and providing affordable and high-quality healthcare.

Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and former Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White endorsed Bean in her bid for the open House seat . Krishnamoorthi unsuccessfully ran for Senate.

In her first stint in Congress, Bean, a moderate, was a part of the New Democrat Coalition, which is described as a group of “forward-thinking Democrats who are committed to pro-economic growth, pro-innovation, and fiscally responsible policies.”

She worked with Pelosi on ObamaCare, along with Wall Street reform and the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009, which extended the time period for individuals to file charges of alleged pay discrimination under Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act.

After leaving Congress, Bean worked in the private sector at finance firms including JPMorgan Chase and Mesirow Financial before deciding to run again.