The photo from the December 2019 file shows Representative Sean Kasten, D-Ill., On the floor of the House of Representatives as lawmakers discuss articles for impeachment against then-President Donald Trump. Home TV via AP, file
Illinois Congressman Sean Kasten announced Monday night that his 17-year-old daughter Gwen has died, CBS Chicago reported.
“The Kasten family wants privacy and we will not issue further comments during this heartbreaking time,” said an email from Kasten’s office.
Shortly before the Casten congressional office announced the death of his daughter, Kasten’s campaign asked all Illinois television stations to immediately remove his campaign spots from air to another order.
A Democrat from Downers Grove, the 50-year-old Kasten is running for a third term in Congress in the recently withdrawn 6th District, which he represents after defeating current Republican Congressman Peter Roscam in 2018.
Casten competes against fellow Republican Marie Newman, a freshman and Nicor operation mechanic Charles Hughes.
“My heart breaks for the Kasten family for the devastating loss of their daughter. My prayers are with Sean, Kara and the entire Kasten family,” Newman said in a statement.
Newman also immediately stopped all advertising for his campaign.
Newman chose to challenge Casten in the 2022 primary after a rewrite of Congress approved by the Democratic majority in the capital, Springfield, placed her in the heavily Spanish-speaking 3rd District, represented by Jesus’ “Hear” Garcia.
Hughes, who is also a former candidate for councilor in the 23rd division of Chicago, is running against Newman in 2020 in the state’s 3rd congressional district, but he finished far fourth with only 2.3% of the vote. race.
Hughes’s campaign spokesman could not be reached for comment.
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