West Cook News

Katy Dolan Baumer has vowed to run again.

“I am going to run again. I am not going to let the grass grow under my feet,” Baumer, Republican candidate for the state District 44 House seat, told the West Cook News after Tuesday's loss.

Katy Dolan Baumer

Baumer said she is starting today to work on the next election. Her signs have been picked up, thank you notes have been written and she has a plan in place to move forward and find out more about the problems facing the people of her district.

Baumer won 37.4 percent of the vote against Democratic  incumbent Rep. Fred Crespo (D-Hoffman Estates), who received 62.6 percent of the vote. She called Crespo on election night to congratulate him on his win, leaving a message on his machine.

“I'm not done yet, he didn't crush me, he just won an election.” Baumer said.

Now that the election is over, Baumer said she will be watching Crespo's voting record going forward.

“Let's make sure he votes independently and correctly,” she said.

Baumer said it's important to make sure Crespo isn't being, “House Speaker Michael Madigan's (D-Chicago) puppet, but casting his votes with the best interests of his district in mind."

Crespo is in charge of the two most powerful committees in the state house, education and appropriations, and as such, oversee the two biggest problems in Illinois so what he does is important, Baumer said.

This was Baumer's first run for the district house seat and the Streamwood resident said she has learned a lot. Baumer feels one of her downfalls may have been she simply couldn't physically reach out to all of the people in the short time she had since successfully launching a write-in campaign in this spring's primary.

Baumer is not giving up, saying she has the drive to win this seat for the people and she won't wait for other people to support her before she starts knocking on doors.

“I intend to do this again because we cannot accept the status quo,” she said.

With support from about 40 percent of the district shows Baumer said it shows area residents are tired of it too. She said the although the campaign turned ugly toward the end with lies being told about her, she refused to retaliate.

“I know I ran a very ethical and upstanding campaign,” Baumer said.

Baumer won't be sitting still waiting for the next election to roll around. She will be serving as the president of the Clerk's Association of Illinois for a second year, she will serve as the vice president of the Cook County Clerk's Governing Board and possibly become the President of the Cook County Clerk's Division. She has also been asked by the Lions Club of Illinois to be the Governor's Secretary and she will run for another term as Hanover Township Clerk, she said.

Baumer said she will continue to move forward with the purpose of helping people better themselves.

“The key is we have to continue to mentor people, bring them up and instill in them a feeling of you can do this too," Baumer said. "You can grow bigger, expand what you have and share the gifts you have."