John McGehee advances to the general election in the Rock Island State's Attorney race. He'll face Republican Jim Wozniak in November.
McGehee watched the numbers come in Tuesday night at Governor's in Moline.
He was surrounded by friends and family as he was declared the winner with 52 percent of the vote. Tom Skorepa finished with 36 percent and Jack Schwartz had 13 percent.
McGehee is backed by former Congressman Phil Hare, who serves as his campaign co-chair. McGehee's opponents questioned Hare's connection to ousted State's Attorney Jeff Terronez, but McGehee says that obviously didn't resonate with voters.
"This race wasn't about Phil Hare," he said. "It was about me and what I can bring to the State's Attorney's office."
McGehee admits there needs to be some change in the office, after the scandal that ousted Terronez last year. He says he plans to institute an "open door policy" that he says will improve lines of communication in the office.
For now, McGehee says he will take a few weeks to spend time with his family, before setting his strategy for the general election.
"Name recognition is one, and getting out and meeting as many voters as possible," he said. "And really convincing them that I'm the one for the job. That's what I have done in the primary. Now you just have a bigger audience, a bigger world that you have to try to talk to."