Mulligan rolls in 65th House
On a night that belonged to the Democrats, Rosemary Mulligan kept the 65th State House district under GOP control.
"I'm waiting to see how many Republicans are left," Mulligan joked Tuesday night.
The 67-year-old incumbent from Des Plaines beat Democrat challenger Aurora Austriaco of Park Ridge. Austriaco called Mulligan shortly before 11 p.m. to concede.
With 94 of 100 precincts reporting, Mulligan had 19,683 votes, or 54 percent, versus Austriaco's 46 percent, or 16,536 in unofficial totals.
The 65th district has long been a Republican stalwart. According to research by Mulligan's office, the last time a Democrat held the House seat that covers Park Ridge and Des Plaines was in 1890. The 65th District also includes parts of Arlington Heights, Park Ridge and Elk Grove Village.
Austriaco, a 38-year-old real estate attorney from Park Ridge, aimed to be the state's first Asian-American member of the General Assembly. She attended high school in the Philippines.
"It was a great campaign, it was a great race," Austriaco said. "I'm proud how I handled the campaign."
Mulligan said the campaign turned nasty thanks to the deep pockets of the Democratic Party which buoyed Austriaco with a steady supply of advertising money including TV spots.
Mulligan has served the district for 16 years, first elected in 1992 when she defeated the legendary Penny Pullen. It was the second time the two faced each other, as Pullen defeated Mulligan in the 1990 GOP primary, which was subject to a recount. The courts reversed Mulligan's victory, handing the seat over to Pullen for one final term.
In Mulligan's latest political battle, she cited the fact Austriaco has donated more than $100,000 to Gov. Rod Blagojevich's campaign as reason why Austriaco wasn't fit to be elected. Austriaco said she regretted the donations, adding the governor hasn't performed to expectations. Both candidates opposed gaming, a major issue the 65th District, which includes Rosemont where village officials have talked about bringing a casino into town.