Chicago: Businessman Raja Krishnamoorthi has won the Democratic nomination in a Chicago-area congressional district over a suburban mayor and state legislator.

The race in the 8th district was an open primary after US Rep Tammy Duckworth opted for a chance to replace Republican US Sen Mark Kirk over re-election. Krishnamoorthi headed into Tuesday's open primary with name recognition, high-profile endorsements and a fundraising advantage.

He lost a congressional primary bid to Duckworth in 2012. He's a former Illinois deputy state treasurer who runs a research and development lab.

Also running were Villa Park Village President Deb Bullwinkel and Sen Michael Noland. The district covers northwestern Chicago suburbs.

Krishnamoorthi says he wants to protect Social Security and Medicare along with passing "common-sense" gun laws. He narrowly lost a 2010 primary bid for Illinois comptroller.

(The article was first published in fox32chicago.com)