Chambana Sun

Incumbent State Rep. Mike Marron (R-Fithian) has claimed victory in a close race for the 104th House District seat. 

Marron claimed victory over Democratic challenger Cynthia Cunningham. 

“We’re confident that the race is over with,” Marron said, according to Vermilion County First. “I mean if you look at all the returns that came in from the Vermilion County Clerk, and the Danville Election Commission, and all the precincts reporting in Champaign County, I’ve got a sizable lead. It looks like a good night, and I just want to thank everybody in the district for their support.” 

Marron pointed out numbers monitored by his campaign team and expressed his gratitude to the voters in Champaign and Vermillion counties in particular. 

“The Associated Press doesn’t have the final updated numbers, but I wanted to share with you what our campaign has internally," he said on Facebook on election night. "With 100% of precincts counted in Champaign, Danville and Vermilion County, we have a resounding 14 percentage point lead. I want to thank all of the voters of Champaign and Vermilion Counties for coming out and making their voices heard. Thank you to all my supporters and volunteers for your countless hours knocking on doors, making phone calls and putting up yard signs, you proved no amount of money or negative attacks can move the needle when you have great local support. Lastly I would like to thank my wife Brandy and daughter Ainsley for putting up with me this entire crazy season, you carried me through this.”

Marron has been pushing for ethics reform amid a bribery scandal involving former House speaker Michael Madigan who was implicated in negotiating bribes from ComEd and AT&T. He said the issue is non-partisan. Marron said, according to WIFR-TV that “Part of the problem is the rules that we pass empower one person to bottleneck all this stuff that a majority of the public believes in. These are nonpartisan issues. This isn’t Republican versus Democrat. Everybody should be able to get behind good government.”

He encouraged his colleagues on the other side of the aisle to join him in standing up for Illinoisans and "say enough is enough." Marron's statement came after "hearing Federal Prosecutor John Lausch deliver the harrowing news of blatant corruption by former Speaker Madigan." 

In the first general election without former House Speaker Michael Madigan, Democrats have held their supermajorities in both houses of the General Assembly. Republicans went into the election with high hopes; however only 78 of the 118 House seats were contested, and in the Senate, only 25 of 59 seats were contested, the Chicago Tribune reported. Republicans made modest gains in the State Senate, but it was still a disappointing night for them.