While the country may be a bit at odds right now (how’s that for the understatement of the year?), there is at least one bit of news we can all rally around: Tammy Duckworth — a veteran, double amputee, and mother of one, has won the Illinois seat in the Senate.
For many who’ve been in mourning over Hillary Clinton’s loss Tuesday and what that might mean for the future of women reaching the Oval Office, seeing another badass female head to Washington sure does offer some comfort, if not some hope.
Thank you for making me the next senator from Illinois. This victory would not have been possible without your support.
— Tammy Duckworth (@TammyforIL) November 9, 2016
Duckworth, who’s a Democratic second-term congresswoman from Hoffman Estates, lost both her legs when the helicopter she was piloting went down during a conflict in the Iraq war. In the years since, she’s become an outspoken advocate for Veterans, was awarded the Purple Heart for her heroic efforts in the military, and was elected to the House of Representatives in 2013. According to ABC News, Duckworth was favored to win the Senate seat on Tuesday, which was once held by President Barack Obama.
Her road to the Hill wasn’t an easy one, though — especially when things got personal. Her opponent, Sen. Mark Kirk (R-Illinois) made headlines when he hurled some racially-fueled remarks about Duckworth’s __parents during a televised debate.
“I forgot that your __parents came all the way from Thailand to serve George Washington,” Kirk reportedly commented. (Duckworth’s mother is a Thai-Chinese immigrant and her father is an American-born U.S. Marine.)
But Kirk’s comments didn’t seem to shake Duckworth, who refused to retaliate negatively — and in the end, many voters rewarded her fortitude.
Brushing off the comments, Duckworth continued to fight for her seat on the Hill and her mission to guarantee veterans’ rights, explaining:
“My family has served this nation in uniform, going back to the RevolutionI’m a daughter of the American Revolution. I’ve bled for this nation. But I still want to be there in the Senate when the drums of war sound. Because people are quick to sound the drums of war, and I want to be there to say this is what it costs, this is what you’re asking us to do … Families like mine are the ones that bleed first.”
Come Election Day, it was pretty clear how the state of Illinois felt about Tammy Duckworth. There was an overwhelming response in her favor, with Duckworth earning 60% of the vote and unseating Kirk, who claimed just 34%.
On Wednesday, she accepted her win with dignity and grace, telling a crowd gathered in Chicago:
“I will go to work in the Senate looking to honor the sacrifice and quiet dignity of those Illinoisans facing challenges of their own. After all, this nation didn’t give up on me when I was my most vulnerable and needing the most help. I believe in an America that doesn’t give up on anyone who hasn’t given up on themselves.”
Aside from being a decorated veteran, and now a U.S. Senator, Duckworth also has two other jobs on her resume: devoted wife and mother. She married Army Major Bryan Duckworth in 1993 and gave birth to a daughter named Abigail in 2014. And just in case you thought she couldn’t be any more badass, she’s also gone back to flying as a civilian pilot and has completed several marathons.
You know, in all that spare time she has.
Her win on Tuesday — along with that of three other female minority candidates — could potentially signal a changing tide in the Senate. It is, after all, the most diverse it’s ever been.
And that is something worth celebrating.