Oakland Town Council Chairman Mike Perkins beat Sidney Selectwoman Kelly Couture on Tuesday in the Republican primary race for the House District 77 seat.
Perkins won with 359 votes, the majority in Oakland; while Couture, of Sidney, had 295 votes.
Couture narrowly edged Perkins in her hometown, 183-154.
“I think people had two good choices to choose from,” Perkins said Tuesday night after results were in. “Now we’re going to move on to keep the Republican seat.”
Perkins said he anticipates the general election will go well because of his work ethic and moral compass.
While Couture said she is disappointed she didn’t win, she congratulated Perkins on the win and is looking forward to helping Perkins win in the general election.
“It was an amazing campaign and we both worked hard, and we both were out there,” she said Tuesday night after the results were in.
Both candidates spent the day at Williams Elementary School in Oakland.
Couture and Perkins both said around noon Tuesday that they would be at the polls until they closed at 8 p.m.
“It’s going really well,” Couture said as she greeted voters. “I’ve seen plenty of supporters, lots of people giving me the nod. I think it’s going well.”
Perkins said “it’s nice to see people out here voting.”
About 230 people had cast ballots in Oakland by noon on Tuesday, according to the town clerk. The district includes Sidney and part of Oakland. Robert Nutting, the Oakland Republican who’s held the seat for four terms, is stepping down because of term limits.
Tuesday’s winner will run against Democrat Alan Tibbetts, of Sidney, for the seat.
Perkins, 54, who has said he’s always been a leader, said he aims to be as fiscally responsible as possible in his role on the Town Council, where he’s served for eight years. He said he believes in welfare reform, lowering taxes and cutting health insurance costs.
Couture, 57, has said she is a “compassionate conservative” dedicated to keeping taxes low. She has signed the Taxpayer Protection Pledge, promising to oppose and vote against any increase in taxes, unless something is cut to keep the revenue neutral. She also supports welfare reform.
Oakland resident Tom Cunningham, 71, said he voted for Perkins, but “I would be happy with either candidate.”
“You can’t go wrong with either one,” he said. “It’s just a matter of preference.”
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