Jakobsson wins House, remains representative

 

 

Incumbent state Rep. Naomi Jakobsson’s supporters gathered first at 88 Broadway, waiting for her to make an appearance Tuesday night.

Jakobsson never made it to 88 Broadway, but did make an appearance at the Brookens Administrative Center, where the results gave her a victory by a comfortable margin.

A University professor who preferred not to be named and her two daughters were present at 88 Broadway to watch the results roll in. They have been active by being involved in door-to-door campaigning for Barack Obama in Terre Haute, Ind.

Jakobsson’s Republican challenger Frank Calabrese, senior in LAS, was also at Brookens, where he watched the numbers pile against his first attempt at political office.

Despite the results, Champaign Mayor Jerry Schweighart who was present at Brookens, said it was fresh to see “young blood in politics.”

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“Calabrese ran a strong campaign,” Schweighart said. “It was a tough race, but it was great exposure for him.”

Calabrese said even though this was Obama’s year, he felt he had a successful campaign, from Chicago Tribune’s endorsement to the campus’ support. Local elections are important especially for students because it holds the local legislatures accountable, he added.

“Politics is a passion of mine,” Calabrese said. “I’m almost certain I will run again because my campaign has been a great experience.”

With the numbers continuing to roll in, Jakobsson said at Brookens she was pleased with the turnout.

At the end of the day, Jakobsson said she wished she had more time to talk to constituents. But, she stayed focus on what she needed to accomplish.

“I”m feeling good. The numbers look good,” she said.

Andrea Cheng, Rosie Powers and Sarah Small contributed to this report