By DEANNA BELLANDI, Associated Press Writer
CHICAGO - Nearly two years after taking control of Congress, the Democrats have claimed another prize by capturing former GOP House Speaker Dennis Hastert’s seat — a development that Republicans say is not a harbinger of things to come.
The longtime Republican district fell to the Democrats Saturday when wealthy scientist and businessman Bill Foster snatched the seat in a closely watched special election.
While Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Chairman Chris Van Hollen predicted Foster’s win would send out a “political shock wave,” Republicans were quick to downplay its significance.
“The one thing 2008 has shown is that one election in one state does not prove a trend,” National Republican Congressional Committee spokeswoman Karen Hanretty said in a statement.
Republicans had been hoping to hold on to the district that President Bush easily carried in 2004 with 55 percent of the vote. The district runs from Chicago’s far western suburbs to almost the Mississippi River.
Foster defeated wealthy Republican businessman Jim Oberweis by capturing 53 percent of the nearly 100,000 votes cast in the election.
“Tonight our voices are echoing across the country and Washington will hear us loud and clear, it’s time for a change,” Foster told cheering supporters.
Van Hollen said Foster’s win is a rebuke of the Bush administration and the GOP’s apparent presidential nominee, John McCain, who helped raise money for Oberweis.
“The message to Republican candidates is that John McCain’s not going to be able to save you in this election,” said Van Hollen, a Maryland congressman.
Foster’s special election win means he will fill the remainder of Hastert’s term, which ends next January. The 66-year-old Hastert, who lost his powerful post as speaker when Democrats took control of Congress, resigned late last year.
Foster, 52, worked for 22 years at the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory. As a young man, he and his brother started a company that manufactures theater lighting equipment.
The race between Foster and Oberweis spawned a contentious campaign that saw both men counting on high-profile supporters to sway voters. Oberweis had Hastert and McCain; Foster leaned on Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama who endorsed him in a TV ad.
“The people of Illinois have sent an unmistakable message that they’re tired of business-as-usual in Washington,” Obama said Saturday night in a written statement.
Oberweis, whose name is synonymous with his family’s dairy business and his financial management company, gets another shot at the seat when he squares off again with Foster in November for a new, full term in the 14th Congressional District.
“I’m really disappointed that we came up second but that’s where we’re at,” Oberweis said.
This is the latest election disappointment for Oberweis who has lost primary races twice before for the U.S. Senate and once for Illinois governor.
With Foster headed to Washington, the district will have a rookie congressmen after years of enjoying Hastert’s clout. During his two decades in Congress, Hastert funneled millions of dollars to the district. He was the longest-serving Republican speaker in history.
Hastert’s is one of three open seats in Illinois this year because of GOP retirements. Reps. Jerry Weller and Ray LaHood are also stepping down. The Democratic Party’s chances to pick up one of those seats improved when the Republican nominee to replace Weller dropped out of the race.
Besides attacking each other in negative TV ads, Foster and Oberweis clashed on issues ranging from immigration and health care to the Iraq war.
During a recent TV appearance, Foster said he would be a “good vote in Congress to change President Bush’s policy” on Iraq. Oberweis contended the troop surge there was working.
Constituency,Area, Winner, Party
NA-1 Peshawar-I Haji Ghulam Ahmad Bilour (ANP)
NA-2 Peshawar-2 Dr. Arbab Alamgir Khan Khalil (PPPP)
NA-3 Peshawar-3 Noor Alam Khan (PPPP)
NA-4 Peshawar-4 Arbab Muhammad Zahir Khan (ANP)
NA-5 Nowshera-1 Mian Yahya Shah Kaka Khel (PML Q)
NA-6 Nowshera-2 Masood Abbas (ANP)
NA-7 Charsadda-1 Asfandiyar Wali Khan (ANP)
NA-8 Charsadda-2 Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao PPP(S)
NA-10 Mardan-2 Maulana Mohammad Qasim (MMA)
NA-11 Mardan-3 Abdul Akbar Khan (PPPP)
NA-12 Swabi-1 Engineer Usman Khan Tarkai Independent
NA-13 Swabi-2 Perviz Khan Advocate (ANP)
NA-14 Kohat Pir Dilawar Shah (ANP)
NA-15 Karak Mufti Ajmal Khan (MMA)
NA-16 Hangu Syed Haider Ali Shah (ANP)
NA-17 Abbottabad-1
NA-18 Abbottabad-2
NA-19 Haripur Sardar Muhammad Mushtaq Khan (PML N)
NA-20 Mansehra-1 Sardar Shah Jehan Yousif (PML Q)
NA-21 Mansehra-2
NA-22 Batagram Prince Nawaz Khan Alai (PML Q)
NA-23 Kohistan
Na-24 D.I. Khan Faisal Karim Kundi (PPPP)
NA-25 D.I. Khan-cum- Tank
NA-26 Bannu Maulna Fazal Ur Rehman (MMA)
NA-27 Lakki Marwat Hamayun Saifullah Khan (PML Q)
NA-28 Bunair
NA-29 Swat-1 Muzafer ul Mulk (ANP)
NA-30 Swat-2
NA-31 Shanglapar Ameer Maqam (PML Q)
NA-32 Chitral Shehzada Mohi-ud-din (PML Q)
NA-33 Upper Dir Najmuddin Khan (PPPP)
NA-34 Lower Dir Malik Azmat Khan (PPPP)
NA-35 Malakand Lal Muhammad Khan (PPPP)
NA-36 Not Provided Bilal Rehman Independent
NA-48 Islamabad-1 Anjum Aqeel Khan (PML N)
NA-49 Islamabad-2 Dr.Ch.Tariq Fazal (PML N)
NA-50 Rawalpindi-1
NA-51 Rawalpindi-2 Raja Pervaiz Ashraf (PPPP)
NA-52 Rawalpindi-3
NA-53 Rawalpindi-4 Ch. Nisar Ali Khan (PML N)
NA-54 Rawalpindi-5 Malik Abrar Ahmad (PML N)
NA-55 Rawalpindi-6 Mukhdoom Muhammad Javaid Hashmi (PML N)
NA-56 Rawalpindi-7 Muhammad Hanif Abbasi (PML N)
NA-57 Attock-1 SHEIKH AFTAB AHMAD (PML N)
NA-58 Attock-2
NA-59 Attock-3 SARDAR SALIM HAIDER (PPPP)
NA-60 Chakwal-1 AYAZ AMIR (PML N)
NA-61 Chakwal-2
NA-62 Jhelum-1 Raja Muhammad Safdar (PML N)
NA-63 Jhelum-2 Raja Muhammad Asad Khan (PML N)
NA-64 Sargodha-I Muhammad Farooq Baha UL-Haq Shah (PML N)
NA-65 Sargodha- II
NA-66 Sargodha – III Tasneem Ahmed Qureshi (PPPP)
NA-67 Sargodha-IV
NA-68 Sargodha-V Syed Javed Hassnain Shah (PML N)
NA-69 Khushab- I
NA-70 Khushab- II Malik Shakir Bashir Awan (PML N)
NA-71 Mianwali-I Nawab Zada Malik Amad Khan Independent
NA-72 Mianwali-II Humair Hayat Rokhari Independent
NA-73 Bhakkar- I
NA-74 Bhakkar- II
NA-37 Not Approved
NA-38 Not Approved Munir Khan Orakzai Independent
NA-39 Not Approved Jawad Hussain Independent
NA-40 Not Approved Mohammad Kamran Khan Independent
NA-41 Not Approved
NA-42 Not Approved
NA-44 Not Approved Syed Akhonzada Chittan Independent
NA-45 Not Approved Noor Ul Haq Qadri Independent
NA-47 Not Approved
NA-43 Not Approved Shaukatullah Khan Independent
NA-46 Not Approved
NA-75 Faisalabad-I
NA-76 Faisalabad- II
NA-77 Faisalabad- III Muhammad Asim Nazir (PML Q)
NA-78 Faisalabad-IV
NA-79 Faisalabad-V Rana Muhammad Farooq Saeed Khan. Independent
NA-80 Faisalabad-VI
NA-81 Faisalabad-VII
NA-82 Faisalabad-VIII
NA-83 Faisalabad-IX
NA-85 Faisalabad-XI Haji Muhammad Akram Ansari. (PML N)
NA-86 Jhang-I Syed Anayat Ali Shah (PPPP)
NA-87 Jhang-II Ghulam Bibi Bharwana (PML Q)
NA-88 Jhang-III Makhdoom Faisal Saleh Hayat (PML Q)
NA-89 Jhang-IV
NA-84 Faisalabad-X
NA-90 Not Approved Saima Akhtar Bharwana Independent
NA-91 Jhang-VI
NA-92 Toba Tek Singh- I Farkhanda Amjad Warraich (PML Q)
NA-93 Toba Tek Singh- II
NA-94 Toba Tek Singh- III
NA-95 Gujranwala-I Usman Ibrahim (PML N)
NA-98 Gujranwala-IV Imtiaz Safdar Warraich (PPPP)
NA-97 Gujranwala-III Ch. Mehmood Bashir Virk (PML N)
NA-99 Gujranwala-V Rana Nazir Ahmad Khan (PML N)
NA-100 Gujranwala-VI
NA-101 Gujranwala-VII Justice ® Iftikhar Ahmad Cheema (PML N)
NA-102 Hafizabad-I Saira Afzal Tarar (PML N)
NA-103 Hafizabad-II
NA-104 Gujrat-I Ch Wajahat Hussain (PML Q)
NA-105 Gujrat-II Ch. Ahmed Mukhtar (PPPP)
NA-107 Gujrat-IV
NA-108 M.B. Din-I Muhammad Tariq Tarar (PPPP)
NA-109 M.B. Din-II
NA-110 Sialkot-I Khawaja Muhammad Asif (PML N)
NA-111 Sialkot-II Dr. Fardos Ashiq Awan. (PPPP)
NA-112 Sialkot-III
NA-113 Sialkot-IV Sahabzada Syed Murtaza Amin (PML N)
NA-114 Sialkot-V Zahid Hamid (PML N)
NA-115 Norowal-I Sumaira Naz (PML N)
NA-116 Norowal-II Ch.Muhammd Taqriq Anees Independent
NA-117 Norowal-III Ahsan Iqbal (PML N)
NA-118 Lahore-I
NA-119 Lahore-II
NA-120 Lahore-III Bilal Yaseen (PML N)
NA-121 Lahore-VI Mian Margoob Ahmad (PML N)
NA-122 Lahore-V Sardar Ayaz Sadiq (PML N)
NA-124 Lahore-VII Sheikh Rohale Asghar (PML N)
NA-125 Lahore-VIII
NA-126 Lahore-IX
NA-127 Lahore-X Chaudhry Nasir Ahmed Bhutta (PML N)
NA-128 Lahore-XI Malik Muhammad Afzal Khokhar (PML N)
NA-129 Lahore-XII
NA-130 Lahore-XIII
NA-131 Sheikhupura-I Rana Tanveer Hussain (PML N)
NA-132 Sheikhupura-II
NA-133 Sheikhupura-III Mian Javed Latif (PML N)
NA-134 Sheikhupura-IV Sardar Muhammad Irfan Dogar (PML N)
NA-135 Sheikhupura-V
NA-136 Sheikhupura-VI
NA-137 Sheikhupura-VII Saeed Ahmed Zafar Independent
NA-138 Kasur-I
NA-139 Kasur-II
NA-140 Kasur-III
NA-141 Kasur-IV
NA-142 Kasur-V Sardar Talib Hassan Nakai (PML Q)
NA-143 Okara-I
NA-144 Okara-II Sajjad Ul Hassan Independent
NA-145 Okara-III
NA-146 Okara-IV Mian Manzur Ahmad Khan Wattoo Independent
NA-147 Okara-V
NA-148 Multan-I Makhdoom Shah Mehmood Qureshi (PPPP)
NA-149 Multan-II Makhdoom Muhammad Javed Hashmi (PML N)
NA-150 Multan-III Rana Mehmood ul Hassan (PML N)
NA-151 Multan-IV Syed Yousaf Raza Gillani (PPPP)
NA-152 Multan-V Liaqat Ali Khan (PPPP)
NA-153 Multan-VI Dewan Syed Ashiq Hussain Bukhar (PML Q)
NA-154 Multan-VII
NA-156 Khanewal-I
NA-157 Khanewal-II Hamid Yar Hiraj (PML Q)
NA-158 Khanewal-III Pir Aslam Bodla (PML Q)
NA-159 Khanewal-IV Ch. Iftikhar Nazir (PPPP)
NA-160 Sahiwal-I
NA-161 Sahiwal-II
NA-162 Sahiwal-III Ch.Zahid Iqbal (PPPP)
NA-164 Pakpatan-I
NA-165 Pakpatan-II Syed Muhammad Salman Mohsin Gillani (PML N)
NA-166 Pakpatan-III Rana Zahid Hussain Khan (PML N)
NA-167 Yehari-I
NA-168 Yehari-II Aseem Daultana (PPPP)
NA-169 Yehari-III
NA-171 D.G. Khan-I
NA-172 D.G. Khan-II
NA-173 D.G. Khan-III
NA-174 Rajanpur-I Sardar Muhammad Jafar Khan Leghari (PML Q)
NA-175 Rajanpur-II Meer Doost Muhammad Mazari (PPPP)
NA-176 Muzaffargarh-I
NA-177 Muzaffargarh-II
NA-178 Muzaffargarh-III
NA-179 Muzaffargarh-IV Muhammad Moazam Ali Khan Jatoi (PPPP)
NA-180 Muzaffargarh-V
NA-181 Layyah-I Sardar Bahadar Ahmad Khan Seehar (PML Q)
NA-182 Layyah-II Syed Muhammad Saqlain Bukhari (PML N)
NA-183 Bahawalpur-I Hassan Askri Sheikh (PML N)
NA-185 Bahawalpur-III Muhammad Baleegh-ur-Rehman (PML N)
NA-186 Bahawalpur-IV
NA-187 Bahawalpur-V Ch. Saud Majeed (PML N)
NA-188 Bahawalnagar-I
NA-189 Bahawalnagar-II Sayed Mumtaz Alam Gillani (PPPP)
NA-190 Bahawalnagar-III
NA-191 Bahawalnagar-IV
NA-192 Rahiimyar Khan-I Syed Hamid Saeed Kazmi (PPPP)
NA-193 Rahiimyar Khan-II
NA-194 Rahiimyar Khan-III
NA-195 Rahiimyar Khan-IV Jahangir Khan Tareen (PML F)
NA-196 Rahiimyar Khan-V Javed Iqbal Warraich (PPPP)
NA-197 Rahiimyar Khan-VI Sardar Muhammad Arshad Khan Laghari (PML N)
NA-198 Sukkur-I
NA-199 Sukkur-II
NA-200 Ghotki-I
NA-201 Ghotki-II
NA-203 Shikarpur-II Ghous Bakhsh Khan Mahar (PML Q)
NA-204 Larkana-I Mr. Shahid Hussain Bhutto (PPPP)
NA-205 Larkana-II
NA-206 Larkana-III
NA-212 NausheroFeroze-II
NA-213 Nawabshah-I
NA-214 Nawabshah-I
NA-221 Hyderabad-IV Syed Ameer Shah Jamot (PPPP)
NA-222 Hyderabad-V
NA-223 Hyderabad-VI
NA-225 Badin-II
NA-227 Mirpurkhas-II
NA-228 Sindh
NA-229 Tharparkar-I
NA-230 Tharparkar-II
NA-232 Dadu-II Rafique Ahmed Jamali (PPPP)
NA-233 Dadu-III Talat Iqbal Mahessar (PPPP)
NA-237 Thatta-I
NA-238 Thatta-II
NA-239 Karachi-I
NA-259 Quetta
NA-260 Quetta Chaaghi
NA-261 Pashin
NA-262 Qilla Abdullah
NA-263 Loralai
NA-265 Dera Bugti/Kohlu
NA-266 Nasirabad
NA-267 Bolan
NA-269 Khuzdar
NA-270 Lasbela/Awaran
NA-271 Kharan
NA-202 Shikarpur- I
NA-207 Larkana-IV
NA-208 Jacobabad- I
NA-209 Jacobabad- II
NA-9 Mardan-I Nawabzada Khawaja Muhammad Khan (ANP)
PST:11:00 PM
DATE: 19-02-08
