Budish won 56 percent of the vote. His next closest opponent, State Sen. Shirley Smith, came in with 20 percent.
In November, Budish will go up against Republican County Councilman Jack Schron, who was unopposed in his primary.
Budish says he expects the race to focus on the economy, improving education and increasing access to healthcare. He spoke outside his election watch party in Cleveland.
"There's a lot of things we can do in this county," Budish said, "and I'm looking forward to the challenges and I'm looking forward to the debate."
In an emailed statement, Schron highlighted his career in business and the Army, and said his years as a county councilman give him the know-how he needs to run the county.
Still, if primary results are any indication of performance in the general election, Budish has an advantage. He won 56,000 votes last night -- compared to nearly 29,000 votes won by Schron.
