Naperville's Wehrli wins in 41st House District

Naperville City Council member Grant Wehrli has won a seat in the state House to represent the 41st District, handily beating Democratic opponent Ed Agustin.

Wehrli claimed 68 percent of the vote with all 81 precincts reporting, according to unofficial election results.

Wehrli, a 45-year-old sales and business consultant, won the seat as a Republican in his first bid for state-level office. The district will continue to be represented by a Naperville Republican, as Wehrli will replace Darlene Senger, who gave up the seat to run unsuccessfully for Congress.

Wehrli said he intends to put politics behind him and "start looking toward solutions that help the solvency of our state."

Finances will be his first focus, while the state income tax and education funding also are of high importance.

"The first thing I want to focus on is getting our financial house in order," Wehrli said. "We need to reprioritize our spending on things. Education would be a high priority for me, but it all must be done in a balanced budget."

Wehrli beat Agustin, a 70-year-old retired architect, to claim the seat representing parts of Naperville and Warrenville in DuPage and Will Counties.