Beth Findley Smith, an Ottawa Republican, was elected April 15 as the 14th Congressional District state central committeeperson (SCC) for the Illinois Republican Party, securing a four-year term on the party’s governing board.

“I am honored and grateful for the support of our precinct committeepersons across the district,” Findley Smith said in a Thursday statement. “My focus will be on empowering our grassroots leaders, strengthening our party infrastructure, and ensuring we are fully mobilized to get out the vote this November. When we invest in our local teams, we build a stronger, more effective Republican Party from the ground up.”

Findley Smith defeated incumbent Larry Smith by a 64% to 36% margin.

Findley Smith is a former member of the La Salle County Board and former second vice-chair of the La Salle County Republican Party. She is also a graduate of the Lincoln Series, a premier training program focused on developing the next generation of female Republican leaders in Illinois.

Unlike Democrats, who elect their State Central Committeepersons through direct vote in the primary election, Republicans select their SCC members through a vote of elected precinct committeepersons.

The 14th Congressional District includes portions of seven counties: La Salle, Will, DeKalb, Kendall, Bureau and Putnam.