Winners and Losers In Illinois State House Races

Caption: Winners in Illinois House races Grant Wehrli (R-41st), Ron Sandack (R-81st District) and Stephanie Kifowit (D-84th District).

41st District

Republican Grant Wehrli jumped from the Naperville City Council to capture the 41st District seat in the Illinois State House.

Wehrli beat Democrat Ed Agustin with a commanding 67 percent of the vote. Unofficial vote tallies for the evening put Wehrli ahead with 23,156 votes to Agustin’s 10,958. This will be Naperville lifer’s first term in the Illinois State House.

Wehrli is in favor of limited government supports letting the 67-percent tax hike passed in 2011 expire in 2015. He opposes a progressive tax structure.

“The first thing I want to focus on is getting our financial house in order,” Wehrli told the Daily Herald. “We need to reprioritize our spending on things. Education would be a high priority for me, but it all must be done in a balanced budget.”

The 45-year-old sales and business consultant replaces Darlene Senger, who was unsuccessful in her Congressional bid.

The 41st District represents all or parts of Warrenville, Naperville and Bolingbrook.

81st District

Incumbent Ron Sandack won a second term to the Illinois House beating Democrat Elizabeth Chaplin for the 81st District seat.

The Downers Grove replican garnered 21,545 votes to Chaplin’s 14,259, according to unofficial race results.

Since taking office, Sandack has declined healthcare and pension benefits afforded to members of the Illinois State Legislature. He also helped get rid of the scandal-plagued, state scholarship program.

He opposes making 2011’s 67-percent tax hike permanent, as well as implementing a progressive tax structure.

“Clearly the economics differences between me and my opponent were pretty defined,” Sandack told the Naperville Sun after Tuesday night’s win. “I think the district’s voters don’t like the income tax increase, they don’t like the progressive income tax. They want Springfield to budget far more differently to make ends meet, to spend less.”

The 81st District serves all or portions of Bolingbrook, Darien, Downers Grove, Lisle, Naperville, Westmont and Woodridge.

84th District

Democrat Stephanie Kifowit retained her seat in the 81st District, warding off Republican challenger Krishna Bansal.

Unofficial vote tallies placed Kifowit over Bansal, 11,433 to 8,379.

The 84th District comprises all or sections of Aurora, Oswego, Montgomery, Boulder Hill and Naperville.