Daily Kos Elections Morning Digest: Robin Kelly scores a huge win and sends a message to the NRA

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' IL-02: On Tuesday night, former state Rep. Robin Kelly powered her way to an enormous victory in the special Democratic primary to fill ex-Rep. Jesse Jackson, Jr.'s vacant House seat. With 98 percent of precincts reporting, Kelly held a 52-25 lead over her nearest rival, ex-Rep. Debbie Halvorson, meaning she took a majority of the vote in a massive 16-candidate field. A general election will be held in April, but in this solid blue district covering Chicago's South Side and southern suburbs, it's only a formality: Kelly will soon be headed to Congress.

Of the three leading contenders who began the race, only Kelly had earned an "F" rating from the NRA, which she wore as a badge of honor. Halvorson and another rival, state Sen. Toi Hutchinson, had both scored "A" grades from the rifle association, putting them badly out of step with a district that has been plagued by gun violence. These incongruous stances prompted NYC Mayor Mike Bloomberg's Super PAC, Independence USA, to run ads in the district targeting Halvorson on guns.

Meanwhile, Kelly, pushing a strong message on curbing gun violence, started consolidating support within the 2nd. Daily Kos then became the first progressive group to endorse her, ultimately raising over $113,000 in small donations for her campaign. CREDO Super PAC got involved as well, spending six figures on field operations to benefit Kelly, and ultimately Independence pivoted to attack Hutchinson as well'and endorse Kelly, too. Following this move, Hutchinson dropped out with just 10 days to go, throwing her support to Kelly.

That left Halvorson and Chicago Alderman Anthony Beale as Kelly's only legitimate opponents, but by then it was too late. The grassroots infusion of cash had already allowed Kelly to get on the airwaves and expand her voter outreach program well ahead of any other candidate. At the same time, Bloomberg's PAC kept their boot on Halvorson's neck with their continued air assault. Kelly continued to rack up local endorsements, including those of four members of Congress'all of whom, rather pointedly, had served with Halvorson but declined to back her.

In the end, Halvorson was only aided by a comically awful monochrome mailer from the local affiliate of the NRA'and it's indeed the NRA who was the biggest loser on Tuesday night. Many Democrats had long been terrified of the organization's political might, but in the wake of Sandy Hook, more are fighting back in support of sensible gun safety regulations.

Robin Kelly, though, was never afraid, and her victory sends a real message to those who oppose any efforts to stem the scourge of gun violence. This most definitely won't be the last election where an "F" rating from the NRA turns out to be an "A" with voters.