Democrat Eric Sorensen, opponents in the race for the open 17th Congressional District seat that represents much of northwestern Illinois, including Rockford, the Quad Cities and Peoria.

Democrat Eric Sorensen, opponents in the race for the open 17th Congressional District seat that represents much of northwestern Illinois, including Rockford, the Quad Cities and Peoria. / John J. Kim/Chicago Tribune/Tribune News Service via Getty Images

Updated November 10, 2022 at 2:18 PM ET

Follow live updates and results from Election Day 2022 here.

Former TV weatherman Eric Sorensen has won the Illinois House seat being vacated by fellow Democrat Cheri Bustos, defeating Republican challenger Esther Joy King.

His election in the state's 17th District brings to Congress the first openly gay member from Illinois and is a win for Democrats looking to keep seats, especially in rural areas.

The seat opened when Bustos announced her retirement earlier this year, potentially leaving Sen. Dick Durbin as Illinois' only congressional Democrat outside of Chicago.

Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Loading...

Tags: house seat  dick durbin  cheri bustos  Democrat