It appears Lake County Councilman Rick Niemeyer, of Lowell, will be the first representative of the newly created 11th District covering southern Lake and Porter counties.
Still, with precincts in the St. John area not yet reported and some in Porter County still out, Niemeyer said he liked the numbers he had seen, but was not ready to declare victory.
The Republican who follows in the political footsteps of his father Ernest Niemeyer, a longtime state legislator, appears to have won over Democrat John Hart, of Cedar Lake.
"It was a typical race for me. I tried to get my message out to the voters, and they believe in me," Niemeyer said.
A priority, Niemeyer told voters, is the Illiana Expressway, the Illinois/Indiana venture to build a highway connecting Interstates 65 and 55. He said Indiana legislators must be watchful, particularly about funding the proposed roadway as it moves forward.
Niemeyer added he wants to represent all the needs of all the people in the new district.
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