Republican Tom Hanson lost his U.S. Congressional bid to represent Illinois' 5th District. | Tommy Hanson for Congress/Facebook
Republican Tom Hanson lost his U.S. Congressional bid to represent Illinois' 5th District. | Tommy Hanson for Congress/Facebook
In a recent interview with the Lake County Gazette, Republican U.S. House candidate Tom Hanson reflected on his unsuccessful campaign.
When asked why his district's constituents voted for his opponent, incumbent Democrat Mike Quigley, Hanson admitted that he wasn't sure if some of them actually did.
"Last week, we had over 200 voters that called our office from polling places saying they were given the wrong ballots," he told the Gazette. "I'm not saying that was done intentionally or not, but either way, it's a problem. We had a conversation with the Election Commission and they weren’t exactly sure about what happened either."
Still, Hanson was relatively upbeat regarding the ultimate outcome, expressing a sense of satisfaction with how consistent people were in trying to learn more about their local government in the hope of making Illinois a better place to live. Hanson also believes that more Republican candidates can win offices in the state in the future by "staying true to their belief and never giving up, always run to make sure your voice is heard. If it’s in your heart to make Illinois a better place, always take the stand to run."
Hanson won approximately 31% of the vote in Illinois' 5th Congressional District election, a Ballotpedia report said. He had previously advanced from the June Republican primary after triumphing over fellow Republican Malgorzata McGonigal.
Democrats ultimately won 14 of Illinois' 17 congressional seats in November, many of them incumbents, Reuters reported. U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth and Gov. JB Pritzker, both Democrats, also won reelection.
On Nov. 9, Hanson posted a video on Facebook regarding his election loss.
"It was a late night last night, and we lost, and I appreciate all the praises and the comments and the support," he said, also noting that voter turnout seemed to be lower in the election than it had been in the year prior. Additionally, he quoted Matthew 6:33 from the Bible: "Seek ye first His kingdom and righteousness, and all things will be added to you."
"God is number one...and if you truly want to have an abundant life, prosperity, health, happiness, mental, physical health, if you truly want to walk through the fire, that's what it's all about: God, the Lord Jesus Christ." Hanson said.
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