WASHINGTON, D.C. (Oct. 28, 2016) — A televised debate in the Illinois between two candidates seeking a U.S. Senate seat turned ugly recently when remarks from the current senator were taken as rhetoric and seemed intended to portray the opponent as foreign.
ASPIRE PAC Chair Grace Meng said in a press release Friday that U.S. Sen. Mark Kirk (R-IL) used racially charged, anti-immigrant statements against senate candidate Ladda Tammy Duckworth (IL-8), an American citizen who has served as the U.S. Representative for Illinois’s 8th congressional district since 2013.
“Senator Kirk’s anti-immigrant rhetoric against Tammy Duckworth’s heritage is inexcusable,” Meng said. “Tammy is an American war hero who has served her country on the combat field, in the executive branch, and in Congress. I am appalled at his comments. This election cycle has set a new ‘norm’ where attacks and racial slurs against immigrants and minority communities from those seeking elected office is fair game. Voters need to take a stand against racist behavior and ensure that we elect the right leaders, leaders who rise above prejudice and can move our country forward.”
