MURPHYSBORO – Voters in five southern Illinois counties elected Republican Mike Bost to an eighth consecutive term Tuesday.

Bost had roughly 58 percent versus Democratic challenger Cheryl Graff’s 35 percent with 98 percent of precincts reporting as of press time. Green Party candidate Charlie Howe had 6.4 percent. Bost, 48, of Murphysboro, has represented the 115th District since 1995.

‘I appreciate the voters sending me back,’ Bost said. ‘You worry about every race.’

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Bost said he was concerned about re-election because he is a Republican in a region that tends to elect Democrats. He said younger voters tend to vote for Democrats and the projected and their projected higher turnout worried him.

Graff, a high school teacher in Campbell Hill, said she was blessed no matter what Tuesday’s results were.

‘Tonight, I feel OK because I’ll get to go back to school and teach my kids tomorrow,’ she said.

Graff said supporters have asked her to consider running for the same seat in 2010, but has yet to decide whether or not to honor the request.

Both Graff and Bost ran on proposed expansion in primary and higher education and to expand research for efficient energy sources at SIUC.

Howe, 64, of Carbondale, said he does not know if he would run for the seat in future elections, but would continue to support the local Green Party.

Howe said he spent at least $5,000 this year on billboards, newspaper advertisements and door hangers, but it did not have a correlation in the election results.

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Tracy Bost said this year’s campaign was more relaxed than in 1994 when her husband first sought the seat.

‘I’m just glad he won or else it’d be my fault,’ said Kaitlin Rose, 19, Mike Bost’s daughter and campaign manager.

Barton Lorimor can be reached at 536-3311 ext. 263 or [email protected].