Bernas claims victory in 56th District GOP primary

Jillian Rose Bernas claimed victory Tuesday in the Republican primary for the 56th District of the Illinois House over rival Charlotte Kegarise.

With all precincts reporting, Bernas had 3,340 votes and Kegarise had 2,233 votes, according to unofficial totals.

Though Bernas and Kegarise initially claimed a unity of purpose to defeat four-term Democratic incumbent Michelle Mussman in November, their primary campaign took on a divisive tone through mailers alleging an unspecified tie between Bernas and Democratic House Speaker Michael Madigan.

"It definitely has been a tough primary," Bernas said. "I was able to counteract that message just by going door to door and talking to my neighbors."

The mailers and ads were paid for by the House Republican Organization, which recruited Kegarise to run. Kegarise denied prior knowledge of the tactic or any ability to stop others from using it.

Bernas said the disagreements during primary campaigns likely won't hurt GOP unity moving forward.

"I think it's definitely time to put that behind us," Bernas said. "It's in the rearview mirror."