North Cook News

State Senate District 27 GOP candidate Bill Robertson conceded the election. 

Robertson lost to incumbent State Sen. Ann Gillespie (D-Arlington Heights).

“Thank you to the many people who supported my campaign for State Senate," Robertson said on Facebook. "While we came up short, I could not be prouder of the effort we put in together. Congratulations to Ann Gillespie on her re-election. So many people spoke out about the need to lower costs for working families, make our communities safer, and fight corruption in Springfield. I hope Senator Gillespie will take that message to Springfield because we all care about those things, regardless of political party. While it may not be as your State Senator, I will continue to get things done for us, just like I have done my entire career. Our work is not done!”

Election results show Gillespie handily winning with 58.3 percent or 38,772 votes against Robertson's 41.7 percent or 27,728 votes, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported.

Robertson has extensive experience in education, having served as a professor, teacher, school administrator, and board chair. Previously, he was the superintendent of Creston CCSD 161 and Fremont School District 79. He has been an adjunct professor of school law at Concordia University Chicago since 2015, and he holds a master's degree in both teaching and school administration from Rockford University. He has a Ph.D. in education from Concordia University Chicago, his alma mater, a previous report from North Cook News stated.

In a Q&A with the Daily Herald before the primary, Robertson said the government should have handled the Covid pandemic better than what they did saying that the “government could have responded so much better, especially in terms of our children and education. Decisions in each school district should be made by the parents, students, and local leaders in those communities, not bureaucrats in Springfield or Washington. This was especially evident during COVID, where leaders in many school districts had whiplash from how often we would work with our community to develop a plan, then have to change everything last minute because of a new state directive.”