GOP Congressional Candidate Believes God Created Storms Because Of Gay Rights

By John Dodge

CHICAGO (CBS) -- U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky's opponent in November will be a woman who said she believes God is punishing us, creating bad weather because of abortions, same sex-marriages and gay rights.

Susanne Atanus won her GOP primary in the 9th Congressional District with 52 percent of the vote on Tuesday over opponent David Earl Williams.

Atanus suggested that God created tornadoes because he was angry over abortion and gay rights. She also blamed gay rights for autism and macular degeneration.

The victory came despite the fact that the Illinois Republican Party denounced her candidacy after comments she made to the Daily Herald editorial board.

"I am a God first conservative," she told the Daily Herald.

"God controls the weather. He has his hand on his people. God is angry. We are provoking him with abortions. We are provoking him with gay rights."

She then said she wanted to be known as a "smart economist-thinking woman."

Atanus said she supports daily positive returns for investors in the stock market, which would create more jobs.

Schakowsy ran unopposed in her primary and was first elected to Congress in 1998.

Williams suggested on Facebook that Schakowsky's campaign urged her supporters to take a GOP ballot and vote for Atanus in the primary.

"It seems that Janice Schakowsky is attempting to pull a fast one with my primary election by sending her legion of supporters to vote for my primary opponent," he wrote." What is wrong Jan, are you afraid of a real challenge?"