Harms Wins GOP Primary for 106th House Race

Watseka Teacher Josh Harms has emerged among a field of five Republicans to win the party's nomination for the 106th House District.

The results were finalized late Tuesday night.

Harms says all the candidates agreed the goal of the campaign was bringing back jobs, but he says voters also connected with his story of what teachers deal with regarding state funding and pensions.

"I think some people did like my story," Harms said. "That's what they call it is your story, where you come from, and what you do. I think that did have something to do with it."

But Harms says voters also did their homework on this race.

"When we would knock on doors and stuff, people would say 'oh, I've read about you, I've heard you speak here," Harms said. "And the turnout was high. "I think there was 16,000 people that turned out to vote in this primary."

Harms finished with 33-percent of the vote, runner-up Tom Bennett finished with 28-percent, or about 900 fewer votes. Former Pontiac Mayor Scott McCoy finished with 23-percent.

Democrats have until early June to slate a candidate to run for the 106th.