Tanya Hildenbrand won the GOP primary in Senate District 57 by a landslide over radio talk show host Bob Romanik, garnering approximately 65 percent of the vote to Romanik's 35 percent.
Hildenbrand, who has a 28-year career in the US military and lives in Belleville, has said she was inspired to run because of problems she sees with state finances.
In previous interviews with the Metro East Sun, Hildenbrand talked about high taxes that pressure people and businesses to leave the state.
She said her military experience would help her to make the decisive decisions needed in state offices.
She also has spoken about corruption in the Illinois financial system and lavish spending on all sorts of things including pensions that dwarf the salaries of many Illinois residents.
She's critical of the state’s budget plan and calls it a spending plan, suggesting that critical reforms are needed.
Hildenbrand will be squaring off in November against Christopher Belt of Cahokia who ran unopposed in the Democratic primary for the seat being vacated by Sen. James Clayborne (D-Belleville).
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