Niemerg Handily Wins 102nd District Write-In Race
Rep. Adam Niemerg (R-Dieterich) appears to have won an unusual double write-in race for the GOP primary in his 102nd House District over a teachers’ union backed candidate.
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We’ve been compiling numbers from election authorities in the unique two-way write in race between Rep. Adam Niemerg (R-Dieterich) and Chrisman schools superintendent and interim Ogden Mayor Jim Acklin.
With 83% of precincts reporting tallied numbers and all of Acklin’s perceived strongest counties in, Niemerg is expected to cruise to victory over the Illinois Education Association-funded Acklin.
With unofficial results in from Champaign, Clark, Cumberland, Edgar, Jasper, Lawrence, and Vermilion Counties, Niemerg holds an 80%-20% lead.
In a statement, Niemerg called the support “humbling.”
“This is a record breaking win for grassroots conservatives and clearly shows southeast Illinois cannot be bought,” he said.
Acklin posted on Facebook Thursday congratulating Niemerg on his victory.
It’s an embarrassing loss for the teachers’ unions, which spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to attempt to take out Niemerg and Rep. Blaine Wilhour (R-Beecher City), who are both members of the conservative House Freedom Caucus.
Wilhour earned almost 80% of the vote in his south-central Illinois district.
Freedom Caucus members could also make life difficult for House GOP Leader Tony McCombie (R-Savana), who was perceived by the conservative group to appear to be opposed to, or at least antagonistic to, Niemerg and Wilhour’s candidacies.
Neither Wilhour or Niemerg face November competition in their heavily GOP districts.