North Cook News

Dawn Abernathy, the former Republican candidate in the District 59 state House race, may have lost the to state Rep. Carol Sente (D-Vernon Hills), but she did not regret one moment of the campaign.

Abernathy said she would do it again without hesitation and is considering another bid in two years.

 “Absolutely,” Abernathy told the Lake County Gazette. “I met some of the greatest people. I had some of the best volunteers helping me. I met some of the most wonderful people throughout the district -- in District 59. Pretty sure I am going to do this again in two years. I would do it all over again, and I have every intention of running again in two years”

Dawn Abernathy of Mundelein, Republican challenger for the Illinois State House District 59 seat.

Abernathy said that while she only won 39 percent of the vote, she can claim to have run a clean race.

“For me, I can wake up tomorrow morning and look at myself in the mirror and know that I didn’t stoop to the insults and the lies and the nastiness that my opponent did. I didn’t,” Abernathy said. “I ran a good race. We ran a positive race based on issues."

It wasn't a total loss, Abernathy said. There were some minor victories.

“There’s been some seats that have turned over, and I am really about that,” Abernathy said on Election Night. “I am happy that some of the seats have turned. I believe (House Speaker) Mike Madigan (D-Chicago) is going to lose his supermajority. I don’t know all the numbers yet, but if he can lose his supermajority, then we’ve done our job. We’re educating the people of Illinois, and slowly but surely, we’re going to start winning for the people.”

While her battle was lost, the war is not over, Abernathy said. If given another chance, there are things she may have changed.

“I would have a different ground game,” Abernathy said. “Obviously, it’s the first time we’ve done this large of a race. There’s just different areas I probably would have concentrated on, and it’s always harder when it’s a presidential election, especially since this presidential election was such a divisive election.”

Despite the outcome, she said the experience was a good one.

“It was an absolutely fabulous experience,” Abernathy said. “I enjoyed it. I enjoyed the people I got to meet. I enjoyed the people I worked with. It was just a great ride.”