By AP/KWMU
Chicago, Ill – After losing a bid for Congress earlier this month, Iraq war veteran Tammy Duckworth has been nominated to head the Illinois Department of Veterans' Affairs.
Gov. Rod Blagojevich appointed Duckworth to the post today (Tuesday), and she'll take over on December 15th -- pending approval by the state Senate.
The governor says he picked Duckworth because of the work she's done speaking out on behalf of soldiers who are returning from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Duckworth says her first priority is to boost enrollment in the "Veterans Care" program. That program is designed to help more than 9,000 Illinois veterans who don't qualify for federal aid. But so far, only a couple dozen have signed up
Duckworth replaces Vietnam veteran Roy Dolgos, who will become deputy director at the Illinois Department of Transportation.
Earlier this month, Duckworth lost a bid for Congress to state Sen. Peter Roskam. The district Roskam won is in northern Illinois.