Jerry Long with state Sen. Sue Rezin, R-Morris
OTTAWA - A close House race was decided Wednesday when Republican Jerry Long conceded to incumbent Democrat State Rep. Frank Mautino (D-Morris). Long waited until all absentee and provisional ballots were counted, leaving him 336 votes behind Mautino.
Long's campaign issued a statement following the concession, saying the Republican ran in the 76th House District race "knowing the people of Illinois were starved for quality leadership and change in Springfield."
"Running as the underdog against a 23-year incumbent, many people believed that Jerry Long did not stand a chance. Yet, he won by 780 votes in the largest county of the district, LaSalle County," the campaign said. "Despite minimal campaign contributions, he nearly unseated the incumbent. His supporters stand firmly behind him."
Long left the door open for another challenge in the future.
“I appreciate all the help and support I received during this campaign,” stated Long. “We are going to assess the type of support going forward before making that commitment.”
