Pressel declared victor by wide margin in primary race for Indiana district 20

LA PORTE COUNTY, Ind. -- Incumbent Republican Jim Pressel defeated his challenger Juanita Haney by a wide margin Tuesday night.

They called the race in La Porte County around 9:30 p.m. CT.

Pressel appears to have taken a commanding win with 62 percent of the votes.

ABC57 caught up with Haney to chat about her campaign, which she says she worked on right up until the end.

Haney said she was out in the thunderstorms Monday, putting out signs and knocking on doors, trying to get her priorities out there one last time.

Some of her focuses are regulating data centers and cracking down on utility prices as well as local taxes.

Here’s what she had to say just minutes after the race was called, also sharing what she hopes to see out of the incumbent Pressel, as he moves toward the general election:

"I actually feel really good. We ran a good race, and I’m very thankful and grateful to my supporters. We ran a clean race, above board… I honestly hope he starts listening to voters. Because they are unhappy."

Pressel came into this race with the backing of President Trump and Governor Mike Braun.

He’ll face off in November with the winner of the Democratic primary, which looks to be Laura Liskey by a narrow 6 percent win.

ABC57 has tried reaching Pressel several times in the past week but never received a response.