DeKalb Times

Brad Fritts won the Illinois House Republican primary for the 74th District seat.

He took to Facebook after his victory. 

“We are grateful we were victorious in the primary and want to thank everyone who made that possible," Fritts said. "However, the real celebration will be when we start making changes in Illinois to make all of our lives better. 

He received 57.6% of the Republican primary vote while his opponent Li Arellano Jr. had 42.4% of the vote, according to Ballotpedia.

"I am so humbled to be the Republican nominee and I will make you proud serving as your next State Rep,” Fritts said.

Fritts, 22 years old, is a graduate of Newman Central Catholic High School. He is also a substitute Social Sciences teacher at his alma mater. He is also a graduate of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and a farmer.

"I will fight for a reduced regulatory burden on farmers and finally cut the red tape off of their businesses and livelihoods!" he said.

Fritts said his top issues are public safety, gun rights, mental health, education, and elimination of fraud. He also said that although another gas tax hike just took effect, the roads are in poor condition. Fritts has also seen firsthand the effects of the pandemic, in both education and the workforce, and vows to work with other leaders to find solutions.

If Fritts wins in November, he will be the first Illinois state representative born after 2000, according to WIFR. 

Shaw Local reported that Fritts had 2,216 votes (53.24%) in Lee County, 1,289 votes (54.6%) in Whiteside County, 910 votes (69.31%) in La Salle County, 1,158 votes (55.43%) in Ogle County, and 587 votes in DeKalb County, which comprises the newly drawn district. State Rep. Dan Swanson (R-Alpha) is the incumbent in the 74th district.

Early last month, Fritts had a vehicular accident, which took the life of his uncle and campaign manager, John Fritts.