Cain declares victory in 66th House primary after Thrower concedes

By a margin of just 69 votes, Connie Cain is on track to be the Republican nominee for the 66th House District in Illinois after her opponent, Arin Thrower, conceded the race Wednesday evening.

Cain, a longtime accountant living in Gilberts, declared victory in a Facebook post Wednesday evening as the unofficial results across Kane and McHenry counties showed Cain with 3,439 votes, or 51% of the vote, and Thrower with 3,370 votes, or 49%.

Cain, who has worked with the Lincoln Lobby, an offshoot of the Illinois Policy Institute, which focuses on government accountability on economic issues, is set to run against incumbent state Rep. Suzanne Ness, a Crystal Lake Democrat, in the November general election.

"I congratulate Arin on a tough race, and I look forward to her plans as we continue to progress in the Republican Party," Cain said in the statement. "The fight is yet to begin to shake things up in Springfield to hold the statehouse accountable to the people."

Cain, who said she received a call Wednesday from Thrower to concede the race, called her opponent a "hard worker" and an "eloquent speaker."

"My journey to serve as State Representative has ended for now, but I'm so thankful for all the wonderful connections and friendships I've made along the way," Thrower said in her own Facebook post Wednesday evening. "I will be forever grateful to everyone who has been by my side campaigning these last six months. I wish I had a better outcome to share today."

The 66th House District includes portions of Kane and McHenry counties, running from Crystal Lake to Elgin.