Dupage Policy Journal

House District 41 candidate Rich Janor conceded in the Nov. 8 election. 

He lost to incumbent Democratic Rep. Janet Yang-Rohr (D-Naperville). 

“Tonight's outcome was not what we were hoping for. I sincerely appreciate the efforts of my family, friends, campaign team, volunteers, and all residents who supported me throughout this whirlwind campaign,” Janor said on Facebook. “I enjoyed being in the arena and competing, and learned a tremendous amount from the experience. Congratulations to Janet Yang Rohr for winning re-election; I wish her well in her second term.” 

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported that out of the 98.32% estimated votes counted, Janor notched 40.2% of the vote with 16,604 votes to Yang-Rohr’s 59.8% of the vote with 24,721 votes.

As part of his campaign Janor opposed the SAFE-T Act, and he is urging Democrats to admit the law was a mistake and to repeal it before it takes effect in January. He also said that crime is out of control in Chicago and that it is pouring over into DuPage and Will counties. He urged state lawmakers to listen to a group of bipartisan officials across the state warning against the SAFE-T Act. 

Janor's campaign website said he was "elected to the office of Naperville Park District Commissioner in 2011 and was reelected in 2015 and 2019. He was elected President of the board three times by a unanimous, bipartisan vote of the other six commissioners." 

The Nov. 8 general election is the first after former House Speaker Michael Madigan left his position. Democrats held their supermajorities in both houses of the General Assembly. 

According to the Chicago Tribune, "Only 78 of 118 elections for House seats contained more than one candidate. In the Senate, only 25 of 59 seats were contested, a product of decades of legislative redistricting maneuvers that let lawmakers pick their constituents rather than the other way around."