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Welch declared victor in state rep race
Emanuel ''Chris'' Welch, with his wife Shawnte, talks to supporters at Luigi's Restaurant on March 20, 2012, in Berkeley. Welch is running in the primary election for the 7th District State Representative seat. | Rob Hart~Sun-Times Media
Updated: April 3, 2012 11:04PM
Emanuel “Chris” Welch was named winner Tuesday in the Democratic primary in the 7th District state representative race.
He won by 36 votes over his closest opponent, Rory Hoskins.
While Welch must still win the vote in November, there is no Republican candidate for the seat.
Gail Siegel, spokeswoman for Cook County Clerk’s Office, said the votes in most of the March 20 primary have not been certified, but she believes that is a formality.
“That’s what the numbers should be,” she said. “I don’t expect the totals in the race to change.”
“We feel really good about where we are at,” he said on election night at his election night headquarters in Berkeley. “We worked really and we feel really good about the position we are in.”
After waiting almost two weeks for outstanding votes from people living or serving in the military abroad and those who cast their votes through the mail the Welch’s lead increased.
Welch had 4,670 votes while Hoskins received 4,634 votes, followed by Beyonca Johnson with 1,634 votes and Princess Dempsey with 1,007.
The state representative seat was vacated by Karen Yarbrough, who ran unopposed for Cook County Recorder of Deeds.
In a statement Welch thanked those who voted for him and also his supporters.
“I would like to sincerely thank the voters for their support. There was a great deal of community and local backing behind me, and I thank each and every single individual who played a part in this campaign.
“I also thank Rory Hoskins, Princess Dempsey and Beyonca Johnson for running a spirited race. I look forward to gaining the trust and support of their voters in the next few months.
“As of today, every voice was heard and every vote counted. Now I have a lot of work to do. I look forward to running a good race in November and going on to serve the voters of the 7th District.”
