Politics & Government

Republican Wins Election to Represent 15th District By 1% Margin

Chrissy Sommer said hard work, persistence led to win.

Republican Chrissy Sommer had a feeling that Tuesday's special election for the 15th District State Representative seat would be close.

In the end, she beat Democrat Paul Woody by a 1 percent margin -- a mere 38 votes.

Sommer had 1,874, or 49.25 percent, to Woody's 1,836 votes or 48.25 percent. Libertarian Bill Slatnz had 94 votes, 2.47 percent.

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When the St. Charles County Election Authority posted the results from all the precincts at one time, Sommer said she was relieved.

"Relieved and excited," she said. "I had a feeling it was going to be close. Other people kept telling me I had it in the bag, but I thought it was going to be close so I kept hammering and hammering."

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The 15th district has historically been a swing district with a larger percentage of people voting democratic than elsewhere in St. Charles County.

Woody said that the large number of votes he got shows the rest of St. Charles County that the voters in the 15th district value common sense.

"They want leaders to go down and do their job and stop demonizing the other side," Woody said. "Refusing to talk and negotiate isn't doing their job."

Woody said he would explore the state laws surrounding recounts to see if that would be possible. The close margin is frustrating, he said.

"I'm sure I would have been a great state rep," Woody said.

Gathered with supporters at Grappa Grill after the polls closed, Sommer said she felt the pressure to get out the vote because it was a special election and there was nothing else on the ballot to motivate people.

Voter turnout was 14.02 percent Tuesday with a total of 3,805 people out of 27,133 registered voters casting ballots.

"Every vote counts," she said.

Sommer said she thought the mailings, phone calls and going door to door made the difference.


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