Voting began at a slow pace in the North suburban 8th congressional district, as both candidates got an early start casting their ballots, signifying the end of an, at times, contentious primary campaign, and for one, the beginning of what’s sure to be a hotly-contested race against incumbent U.S. Rep. Joe Walsh (R-McHenry).

Former State Deputy Treasurer Raja Krishnamoorthi began the day at 7 a.m., casting his vote in an empty gymnasium at the Prairie School in Hoffman Estates where he told Progress Illinois that he was glad to have had the chance to run in what he felt was a campaign that came down to who had the best ideas to get a still recovering economy moving and to provide the district with much-needed jobs.

Here's more from our conversation with Krishnamoorthi, covering issues surrounding incumbent Walsh, women's reproductive rights, and more:

Former U.S. Veterans Affairs Assistant Secretary Tammy Duckworth received a warm welcome from supporters outside of a Barrington church where she cast her ballot.

In an interview with Progress Illinois, the Iraq War veteran said she was looking forward to the opportunity to continue conveying the message to voters and lay out the stark contrasts between herself and Walsh in the months leading up to November.

Here's more from Duckworth:

It has been a hotly disputed race between the two democrats, who have expressed similar views at times on various issues such as the economy, but have butted heads over the issue of campaign financing, in particular, the inclusion of Super PACs into the race.

Despite the tensions between the two campaigns, both agreed the priority is to unseat incumbent Walsh, who won the seat two years ago on a wave of Tea Party support but has since seen his district remapped to include more Democratic voters.