There will be a November rematch of the 2024 contest for statehouse: State Rep. Amy “Murri” Briel (D-Ottawa) will again try to fend off Republican challenger Liz Bishop of La Salle.

Briel cruised to victory in Tuesday’s primary election, deemed “uncontested” by The Associated Press, though write-in candidate Tyler Thompson recently emerged as a challenger. If results hold, Briel will be the Democratic nominee for Illinois House District 76, which includes parts of La Salle, DeKalb and Bureau counties.

“I’m really looking forward to earning everyone’s vote again,” Briel said Tuesday. “I love this district with all my heart and soul. I think we’ll be good going into November.”

Thompson did not return a request for comment.

On the Republican side, Bishop won the nomination over challenger Crystal Loughran. Bishop released a statement declaring victory at 9:12 p.m., well before The Associated Press called the race at 10:27 p.m.

“We’re very pleased, of course,” Bishop told Shaw Local News Network. “We worked hard and we were very pleased with the early results.”

Asked about her November rematch with Briel, Bishop replied, “We’re ready to go. We’re gearing up.”

Loughran did not return voice, text and email messages from Shaw Local News Network seeking comment.

While the result was the same as the last time Bishop and Loughran faced off – “I don’t think there was anything that changed materially since 2024,” Bishop said – the vote totals this time were tighter in the Illinois Valley.

Bishop won in 2024 with a 67% margin. Unofficial results on Tuesday, however, gave her a win in Bureau County with a 55% margin (201 votes to 166) and a 60% lead in La Salle County (1,598 to 1,071).

The last Briel-Bishop contest was close. In 2024, Briel squeaked past Bishop with 50.63% of the vote for the seat previously held by Democrat Lance Yednock of Ottawa.