ELKHART CO. — Republican voters in Elkhart County voted for change Tuesday. Challenger Wes Culver upset incumbent John Ulmer in the race for State Representative in District 49. That covers Goshen, Bristol and Middlebury.

In an overwhelming victory, Culver captured 71 percent of the votes. Ulmer grabbed only 25 percent.

For the first time in 10 years, many people in Elkhart County will have a new voice in Indianapolis. Now, John Ulmer is reflecting on his time in the state legislature.

"I wanted to give back to the community, what they had provided to me and my family, and this gave me an opportunity to do some of those things,” he told WSBT News.

Things that at times sparked controversy: property taxes and a deciding vote that kept the statewide switch to daylight saving time alive.

"I always voted what I thought was best for the constituent and best for the individuals and oftentimes I voted with businesses, “he said.

But Wes Culver says the work is far from over.

After a win in the primary, Culver is now focused on more property tax reform, county income taxes, and education reform.

“So there are those issues all surrounding budget items, then immigration is a huge issue, and so we need to do something with that,” Culver said.

He says he credits his victory in part to the fact he felt he was able to get out his priorities in office with a well-heeled door to door campaign.

"Getting the message out, yeah, we were real effective at that, both with radio and advertising,” Culver said. “Our grassroots support was huge — we had hundreds of volunteers helping in all aspects of the door to door campaigning."

There were no Democratic candidates on the primary ballot for the seat in House District 49. But Democrats still have time to field a candidate to run against Culver in the November election.

For more election headlines and voter resources, go to WSBT.com's Campaign ‘08 section.