Kenton McMillen
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Kenton McMillen
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Kenton McMillen was a 2016 Libertarian candidate who sought election to the U.S. Senate from Illinois.[1]
Biography
McMillen received his B.A. in journalism from Northern Illinois University. He also has a paralegal certificate from Roosevelt University and works as a paralegal for Vedder Price in Chicago.[1]
Elections
2016
The race for Illinois' U.S. Senate seat was one of nine competitive battleground races in 2016. U.S. Rep. Tammy Duckworth (D) defeated incumbent Mark Kirk (R)—who was seeking re-election to his second term—Kenton McMillen (L), and Scott Summers (G) in the general election on November 8, 2016.
In her victory speech, Duckworth said, “Tonight, we showed a campaign that respects voters and is focused on practical solutions rather than shopworn slogans can be successful. We showed that a relentless focus on rebuilding Illinois’ middle class and respecting hard worth rather than wealth can be successful, too.”[2]
During his concession speech, Kirk said, "What unites us as Americans is much stronger than what divides us." Kirk also invited Duckworth to have a beer with him as a peace offering. He said, “This beer summit with [sic] show kids across Illinois that opponents can peacfully [sic] bury the hatchet.”[2][3]
Numerous analysts labeled Kirk the most vulnerable GOP incumbent in 2016 due to Illinois' tendency to vote overwhelmingly for Democrats during presidential election cycles. Kirk faced significant opposition from national Democrats who targeted Illinois as an essential seat needed to regain the majority in the U.S. Senate. Democrats picked up two seats in Election Day, but they fell short of the five seats that they needed to take control of the Senate.[4]
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic |  Tammy Duckworth |
54.9% | 3,012,940 | |
| Republican | Mark Kirk Incumbent | 39.8% | 2,184,692 | |
| Libertarian | Kenton McMillen | 3.2% | 175,988 | |
| Green | Scott Summers | 2.1% | 117,619 | |
| N/A | Write-in | 0% | 639 | |
| Total Votes | 5,491,878 | |||
| Source: Illinois State Board of Elections |
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
|---|---|---|
|
Mark Kirk Incumbent |
70.6% | 931,619 |
| James Marter | 29.4% | 388,571 |
| Total Votes | 1,320,190 | |
| Source: Illinois State Board of Elections |
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
|---|---|---|
|
Tammy Duckworth |
64.4% | 1,220,128 |
| Andrea Zopp | 24% | 455,729 |
| Napoleon Harris | 11.6% | 219,286 |
| Total Votes | 1,895,143 | |
| Source: Illinois State Board of Elections |
Campaign themes
2016
McMillen issued the following statement regarding his bid for office:
| “ | The country is going in the wrong direction. Endless wars, deficit spending, increased regulation, massive federal government. I believe the voters need a choice which will advocate a change in this direction, bring the troops home, put more money in your pocket and allow you and your family to prosper, be free and be happy. | ” |
| —Kenton McMillen, [1] |
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for "Kenton + McMillen + Illinois + Senate"
See also
- United States Senate election in Illinois, 2016
- United States Senate elections in Illinois, 2014
- United States Senate elections, 2014
- Illinois
- United States Senate
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Information submitted through Ballotpedia's biographical submission form on May 2, 2016
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 WTTW.com, "Duckworth Defeats Kirk in Heated US Senate Race," accessed November 15, 2016
- ↑ CBS Chicago, "Tammy Duckworth Defeats Mark Kirk In U.S. Senate Race," accessed November 15, 2016
- ↑ Roll Call, "Democrats Could Face Primary Mess in Illinois Senate Race," January 23, 2015
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
