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HAMILTON — A West Chester Twp. resident won a landslide victory as the Democratic nominee who will vie in November to represent Butler County in the Ohio Senate.

Kathryn Bridgman beat Erik Rivera by 42 percent, Tuesday, March 4, in the Democratic primary for the 4th District seat in the Ohio Senate. Bridgman took 19,639 votes, or 71 percent, while Rivera received 8,015 votes, or 29 percent with 94 percent of precincts reporting, according to the Butler County Board of Elections, which had 94 percent of the precincts reporting early Wednesday, March 5.

"This is the first step in helping the middle class and improving our situation," Bridgman said late Tuesday night.

Bridgman will now begin raising money for the general election, when she will face Gary Cates, R-West Chester Twp., who holds the seat and who won the unopposed race for the Republican nomination.

Bridgman said she has devoted her time to volunteering in the community since retiring four years ago from the television broadcasting industry. In 2007, the 56-year-old was elected to the Butler County Democratic Executive and Central Committees and led an initiative that seeks to provide relief from health care and tax expenses for Ohioans.

If elected, Bridgman said she will focus on pushing for alternatives to funding education and health care.

"I believe it's time to focus on the issues that face most of the people that live in Butler County," Bridgman said.