The federal government’s treatment of veterans looms large in one of the fall’s toughest Senate races.

An Illinois judge set a court date Thursday in the lawsuit pending against Rep. Tammy Duckworth over her alleged mistreatment of employees at the Department of Veterans Affairs, where the Democratic Senate candidate served in high-level positions from 2006 to 2011. Duckworth is the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate in this state this year.