Biggert breezes to win in campaign for sixth term

Voters in the 13th Congressional District opted for a familiar name Tuesday.

U.S. Rep. Judy Biggert of Hinsdale won easily over her GOP primary opponent, Sean O'Kane, according to unofficial vote tallies.

Biggert, serving her fifth 2-year term, netted 56,615 votes to 16,559 for O'Kane, with 96 percent of precincts unofficially reporting.

O'Kane, a home builder from Hinsdale, put pressure on Biggert late in the campaign. He purchased radio ads and paid for a billboard on the Eisenhower Expressway.

Biggert, an attorney, said she was gratified by the results.

"I'm really grateful voters chose experience and results over nebulous 'change just for the sake of change' arguments," she said. "It's not enough just to get up one morning and say, 'I think I want to run for Congress.' "

O'Kane was unavailable for comment. His campaign manager, Bill Sammon, blamed poor media coverage for his candidate's failure.

"It's dispiriting, the extent to which the advantage of incumbency can only be surmounted when there is adequate press coverage of it," he said.

Biggert isn't out of the woods with her primary victory. In November, she will face two opponents, Democrat Scott Harper, who began campaigning months ago, and the Green Party's Steve Alesch.

"I don't take anything for granted," Biggert said.

"I think the No. 1 issue in the campaign will be the economy. We have to extend the tax cuts."

Another priority, Biggert said, will be pushing for renewed funding for area research centers -- Fermilab and Argonne National Laboratory -- both of which were hit with major funding cuts this year.