Illinois congressional contest reflects broader split in GOP

FLORA, Ill. — As Ruthie Welty waited for her coffee at Common Grounds Coffee Lounge last month, she thought about who she’ll vote for in the upcoming Republican primary election for the U.S. House. Her options are a conservative incumbent who sees bipartisanship as necessary to making government work, and a far-right challenger who says he’s willing to shut government down to advance his agenda. But the 76-year-old military veteran from rural southeast Illinois had one dominant feeling about the race. “I hate to see Christian Republicans going against each other,” Welty said. The contest in th...