U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin has defeated Republican state Sen. Jim Oberweis to win a fourth term. The Senate's second-ranking Democrat had been expected to keep the seat he's held since 1997.
He campaigned as a champion for the middle class, pushing for a higher minimum wage and tax breaks for companies that keep good-paying jobs in the U.S.
The 69-year-old from Springfield also says his tenure and position on Capitol Hill have helped him bring billions of dollars in federal funds back to Illinois.
Oberweis called Durbin a career politician and accused him of losing touch with voters. The 68-year-old dairy entrepreneur from Sugar Grove said he had the business background to create jobs.
Durbin painted Oberweis as too extreme for Illinois.
