Bill Foster
Foster's victory in a 2008 special election was a morale blow to Republicans: Foster captured the seat held for 11 terms by former House Speaker Dennis Hastert, who resigned before his term ended. The Harvard-trained physicist got a major boost from candidate Obama in that race, then coasted to a full term. Republican voters outnumber Democrats in the district, but Foster closed June with about $1.6 million in the bank, more than six times the purse of his Republican challenger, state senator Randy Hultgren.
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Last updated August 27 2010: 5:42 AM ET
