Manley, Batinick, Walsh Win Re-Election

WILL COUNTY, IL — Several Will County-area representatives in the General Assembly held onto their seats Tuesday night. State Reps. Larry Walsh Jr., Mark Batinick and Natalie Manley all won re-election.

Here's how the vote totals shook out:

Representative in General Assembly, 86th District

• Rick Laib - Republican: 29.9 percent
• Lawrence "Larry" Walsh Jr. - Democrat: 70.1 percent

Representative in General Assembly, 97th District

• Mark Batinick - Republican: 50.8 percent
• Mica Freeman - Democrat: 49.2 percent

Representative in the General Assembly, 98th District

• Alyssia Benford - Republican: 36.3 percent
• Natalie Manley - Democrat: 63.7 percent

Walsh, who was first elected in 2012, scored a big victory over Republican challenger Rick Laib, a Will County Sheriff's sergeant who urged voters to "see something new in 2018." On Facebook, Laib conceded defeat, but was positive about the campaigns he and Walsh ran, saying, "the races around us were largely steeped in sewage; ours was not. ... I'm grateful Larry kept this a gentlemen's game. "

Walsh's fellow Democrat Manley also earned a large share of votes against Benford, a DuPage Township trustee who said her priorities were "fiscal responsibility, youth education, and tax reform." On Facebook, Benford thanked those who supported her.

Republican Batinick won by a narrow margin over Democrat Mica Freeman, a Plainfield teacher and mom who pledged to "stop Rauner" "protect families" and blasted Batinick over health care votes.

See more Illinois and Will County election results:

• Big Wins For Democrats: Illinois 2018 Election Results
• Will County Board Election: Wins For Most Incumbents
• Will County Sheriff Election Results: Kelley Wins Re-Election
• Will County Clerk Election Results: Staley-Ferry Defeats McPhillips
• White Oak Referendum: Library Tax Increase Fails

Photo via Shutterstock