Nekritz retains hold on north suburban House 57

State Rep. Elaine Nekritz, who retained the House's 57th District seat on Tuesday, said balancing the state budget will be a key priority as she begins her seventh term.

Nekritz, a Democrat from Northbrook, defeated Republican challenger Bill Grossi Tuesday, garnering 12,477 votes, or roughly 55 percent of the total, with all 69 precincts in Cook and Lake counties reporting. Grossi received 10,133 votes, according to unofficial results.

"I've tried to be forthright about the difficult decisions we've had to make," Nekritz said Tuesday night. "I've made a real effort to tackle those head-on, and I think voters appreciate that kind of approach in times like these."

In light of Bruce Rauner's apparent victory in the governor's race on Tuesday, Nekritz said the upcoming budget process may be different, but she still expects it to be productive.

"The issues remain the same, no matter who's leading the state," she said.

Nekritz added that she's "cautiously optimistic" that a pension-reform package she helped craft in will survive an upcoming review by the Illinois Supreme Court.

"There are a lot of different feelings about that one," she said. "I remain hopeful that the court will help us solve our crushing financial issues."

Nekritz was first elected to the state House in 2002.

Grossi, a Republican tax attorney from Mount Prospect, was making his first run for public office. He could not be reached for comment Tuesday night.