Kelly beats Oberman in Democratic treasurer race
Robin Kelly, the chief of staff for the current state treasurer, will get her chance to win her boss' job in November now that she has won the Democratic primary over Chicago resident Justin Oberman.
With 99 percent of precincts unofficially reporting, Kelly, 53, of Matteson, received 57 percent of the vote to 42 percent for Oberman, a 35-year-old former executive for the federal transportation and homeland security departments who currently works for a capital investment firm.
Kelly will face Republican Dan Rutherford, a state senator from Chenoa, and Green Party candidate Scott Summers of Harvard in the Nov. 2 general election. Her boss, Alexi Giannoulias, won the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate Tuesday night.
The treasurer serves as the state's banker and is responsible for protecting and investing state funds. This differs from the duties of the comptroller, the state's chief fiscal control officer, who is responsible for paying the state's bills.
The treasurer oversees a staff of about 180 employees and a budget of approximately $25 million.
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<li><a href="/news/politics/elections/2010/primary/race/?id=11">More on the treasurer's race </a></li>
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