CHICAGO (AP) – Vice President Joe Biden has sworn in Tammy Duckworth as Illinois’ new U.S. senator at a ceremony in Washington.

Duckworth’s press secretary, Sean Savett, says U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois escorted Duckworth to the Tuesday afternoon ceremony. Savett says Duckworth and the vice president also did a traditional recreation of the ceremony shortly afterward and her family, including her 2-year-old daughter Abigail and her husband Bryan were there.

Duckworth is a Democratic two-term representative from Hoffman Estates. She defeated incumbent Republican U.S. Sen. Mark Kirk in the November general election. Duckworth is the second woman to represent Illinois in the U.S. Senate.

Duckworth is a veteran and served as director of the Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs. She also worked in the federal VA.