Casten tops Conforti in 6th Congressional District

Democratic U.S. Rep. Sean Casten of Downers Grove on Tuesday night bested Republican Niki Conforti of Glen Ellyn to hang onto Illinois' 6th Congressional District seat.

With an estimated 89% of ballots counted, Casten was ahead 181,508 votes to 157,464 votes, unofficial results showed. That gave Casten about 54% of the total.

In a statement issued after his victory was declared, Casten said he feels hopeful about the future.

"It's the people of the 6th District who fuel that hope, reminding me every day of our shared beliefs and demonstrating their remarkable decency," he said. "I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to continue this important work. Thank you to everyone who has placed their trust in me."

Abortion was just one of the many issues that divided the candidates. Casten is an outspoken proponent of abortion rights, while Conforti, an energy consultant who also ran for Congress in 2022, supported the U.S. Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade and let states set their own abortion laws.

And while Conforti defended GOP running mates Donald Trump and JD Vance for perpetuating debunked claims that immigrants are eating pets and wild animals in an Ohio town, Casten said comments like that "traffic in hatred."