Khouri takes Republican nomination in 11th Congressional District race

DuPage County Board member Tonia Khouri received the Republican party nomination in the U.S. 11th Congressional District race, according to unofficial results.

Khouri and cardiologist Nick Stella of Darien both gathered about 37 percent of the vote.

With all 446 precincts unofficially reporting, Khouri collected 22,493 votes. Stella trailed with 22,149 votes and physicist Herman White of Naperville came in third, with 16,249 votes.

Khouri will face incumbent Bill Foster in the November general election. The 11th District covers parts of Cook, DuPage, Kane, Kendall and Will counties, including Aurora, Naperville, Bolingbrook, Burr Ridge and Joliet.

"I'm excited to be the Republican nominee," she said. "I'm just going to continue the momentum that we have and continue reaching out to the district to get our message out."

Khouri, of Aurora, has stressed that her roles as a mother and small business owner, as well as her time on the county board, will provide her with a unique perspective for tackling national issues.

During the campaign, Khouri said she would make taxes a priority if elected. In her time on the county board she said she fought against proposals to change the state's flat tax rate to a progressive rate, voted to keep the county's tax levy flat and opposed salary increases for county elected officials.

Khouri said she wouldn't vote to repeal the Affordable Care Act until another law is passed to replace it. She said she wants a system that focuses on patients more than insurance companies and supports allowing people to buy their health care from across state lines.

Khouri said supports the construction of a wall along the southern border and believes Congress needs to change the visa law waiver program, to prevent people from overstaying visas. She believe enforcing the border is not anti-immigration and she does not agree with a path to citizenship. Earned legal status, she said, might be possible for immigrants who complete required tasks, such as paying administrative fees associated with the earned legal status and fees to cover programs introduced for their children at school.