11:46 PM: Roys wins 81st
Kelda Helen Roys is headed to the Assembly.
"I just feel great," said Roys shortly after the results became final. "I am so honored. I feel tremendously grateful to the voters of the 81st for putting their trust in me."
Roys, former executive director of NARAL Pro-Choice Wisconsin, won in a six-way Democratic primary 31 percent of the vote. Justin Sargent received 27 percent.
John Laubmeier finished third with 16 percent of the vote. Former lobbyist Eric Englund recieved 14 percent, while Dane County assistant DA Tim Kiefer and restaurant owner Peng Her received 7 percent and 5 percent, respectively.
The Democrats were running to replace retiring Dem Rep. Dave Travis. No Republicans are running in the district.
Laubmeier, the Waunakee Village Board President, had an early lead as results trickled in from wards outside of Madison. But when numbers started to come from the city, Roys surged to the win.
Roys thanked her opponents.
"They really ran tough, strong races and they made me a better candidate," she said.
Roys owed her win to "knocking on doors non-stop," saying she hit 20,000 in the course of her campaign. She said her top priorities will be to address economic development, and reforming the education and health care systems.
"They are tools of economic deveopment and very connected to our economy," she said.
Labels: 2008 fall primary