By a 10-point margin, Republican Amy Elik of Alton has defeated Democrat incumbent Rep. Monica Bristow (D-Alton) for the 111th House District.
Elik won with 26,294 votes over freshman representative Bristow's 21,901 votes, according to unofficial voting results. The district is comprised of all of Madison County and two precints in Jersey County.
Elik, a certified public accountant and forensic auditor, had campaigned on a platform of fiscal conservatism and ethics reform in state government.
"When I launched my campaign, I said I’m running to represent the forgotten voices of people looking for more favorable policies toward the middle class," Elik said.
"Tonight, I'm proud to say those voices were heard loud and clear. I thank Rep. Monica Bristow for her service to the people of Illinois and for a hard-fought race. To the endless number of volunteers, I cannot thank you enough for your commitment to the cause. I look forward to serving as an effective, conservative representative for the people of the111th district as we work to fix the fiscal and ethics issues plaguing our great state."
Bristow offered congratulations to Elik in a Facebook post:
"I want to congratulate Amy Elik on her election and thank the people of the Riverbend Region for the faith they have put in me as their state representative. I’m proud of my record of sponsoring legislation that’s important to residents and families, like protecting local jobs from outsourcing and forcing insurance companies to cover lifesaving medical devices for children. I will continue to work with local leaders and elected officials, both those that are new and re-elected, to ensure the strongest representation for our families."
Statewide, Republicans picked up four House seats, including the 116th House District where David Friess of Red Bud defeated Democrat Rep. Nathan Reitz by a margin of 65% to 35%, unofficial results show.
Friess had 34,378 votes to Reitz's 18,589.
"The people of the 116th District are ready to end the cycle of corruption and tax increases in Springfield," Reitz said. "I owe this victory to the hard work and dedication of our supporters, and I will not let you down on pushing for ethics reform, holding the line on taxes, and ending reckless spending. I thank Nathan Reitz for his service and wish him the best."
In the 112th House District, Democrat incumbent Rep. Katie Stuart easily defeated Republican challenger Lisa Ciampoli by a margin of 54% to 46% or 30,413 to 26,361 votes, acording to unofficial results.