Osmond keeps 61st House seat

Republican incumbent JoAnn Osmond of Antioch retained her seat in Springfield by defeating Democratic challenger James A. Parks, also of Antioch, in Tuesday's election.

With ballots in all 89 precincts counted, unofficial results showed Osmond with 26,003 votes and Parks with 23,765 votes.

The vote totals do not include provisional and late-arriving absentee ballots.

Osmond, 62, ran her campaign with promises to work hard to create jobs in northern Lake County by attracting new businesses along the Route 173 corridor.

A frequent critic of fiscal mismanagement by her Springfield colleagues, Osmond said she would always vote against a personal pay raise until the governor and lawmakers learn to spend within their means.

The 61st District covers northern Lake County from Lake Michigan to the county line.