Senate candidate Andrea Zopp gained a victory Wednesday when the Cook County Democratic Party announced it was not endorsing Rep. Tammy Duckworth and instead leaving the primary open between the two candidates.
"When I announced my intention to run for U.S. Senate in May, many underestimated my ability to garner support," Zopp said in a statement. "Now, just 60 days later, my campaign had its first major victory."
Duckworth has already picked up several endorsements, most notably from Sen. Dick Durbin, who failed to support the re-election bid of his Republican counterpart in the Senate, Mark Kirk.
Zopp's campaign has lagged a bit behind Duckworth's, who has much greater name recognition.
As former president and CEO of the Chicago Urban League and a former member of the Chicago School Board, Zopp has perhaps greater influence in the Chicago area, but her name is not as easily recognized out of the city.
Duckworth and Zopp will face off in the Democratic primary race before one of them takes on incumbent Sen. Kirk in November 2016.
