DANVILLE — Mary Catherine Roberson made history on Tuesday, becoming the first Black and first woman elected to represent the Illinois 104th District.
“As a Black woman born and raised in Danville, I understand the significance of this moment.’’ Roberson said in a statement released Wednesday evening. “I hope every young girl who has ever been told what she can’t do sees this victory and knows that she can. But making history was never the goal. Making a difference is.
The race for Illinois 104th District remained too close to call for much of the day on Wednesday, until incumbent Brandun Schweizer (R-Danville) conceded the race to Mary Catherine Roberson (D-Danville) around 5 p.m.
“It’s easy to praise God during times of joy, when things are going our way and life seems to be falling into place,” Schwiezer shared on his Facebook campaign page around 5 p.m. on Wednesday. “But I believe it’s just as important, if not more important, to praise Him during times of disappointment and defeat. Because even when we don’t understand His plan, we can trust that He has one. He is faithful in our victories, and He is just as faithful in our defeats. And today, while the results of this election are not what we had hoped for, I am choosing to be grateful for the opportunities He has given me and to trust Him with whatever comes next.”
As of late Wednesday afternoon, Capitol News Illinois was reporting that Roberson led Schweizer by just under 800 votes with 67 out of 89 precincts reporting. This is not the first time there were a few hundred votes separating the candidates for the 104th. Schweizer narrowly won the district in 2024 by only 269.
With the latest tabulated returns showing Roberson receiving 51.5% of the vote to Schweizer’s 48.5%, the lifelong Danville resident and community advocate has won a historic election. Additional vote-by-mail ballots are expected to be counted.
“This campaign has always been about something bigger than me,” said Roberson. “It’s about working families doing everything right and still struggling to get ahead. It’s about neighborhoods that have been overlooked, people who feel like their voices aren’t heard, and the belief that every single one of us deserves a seat at the table.
“Over the last five months, our team knocked on more than 22,000 doors, made thousands of phone calls, and had conversations with people in every corner of this district. Some residents told us that nobody had ever knocked on their door before. We changed that. I am so incredibly grateful to everyone who made this possible. Every volunteer who knocked on a door, made a call, hosted an event, donated, shared a post, or offered a word of encouragement. I know what it means to give your time and resources when life is already demanding so much of you. I don’t take a single bit of that generosity for granted.
Roberson, who previously worked for the City of Champaign and was the Director of Constituent Services for U.S. Congresswoman Robin Kelly, says getting elected is just the first step.
“The campaign may be over, but the work is just beginning,’’ she said. “We’ve knocked on the doors. We’ve listened to the stories. Now it’s time to take those voices to Springfield.
And to those who didn’t vote for me, I want you to know that I will work just as hard for you. We may not agree on everything, but we all want safe neighborhoods, good schools, opportunities for our children, and a fair shot at building a good life.’’
Amy Buttram with the Democratic Party of Vermilion County says they knew the seat was “flippable.”
“But was it going to be flippable this year?” Buttram recalled. “Would be another great question.”
Both candidates have poured large amounts into fundraising as well. And both received a majority of campaign funds from Political Action Committees or PAC’s.
The largest contribution to Schweizer was $842,485.52 from the House Republican Org, and the largest for Roberson was $358,745.73 from the Democrats for the Illinois House, both PAC’s.
“Unfortunately, in politics, currently money is a necessary evil in order to win,” Buttram said of the hundreds of thousands poured into campaign advertising.
Both candidates are very involved in their communities as well. Roberson is heavily involved with Project Success of Vermilion County, gun violence prevention initiatives, and more.
“The amount of work that she has put in, her team has put in, the Vermilion County Democrats have put in, the Champaign County Democrats, the Illini Dems, has just been absolutely amazing,” Buttram said of Roberson’s campaign.
Schweizer, a Marine Corps veteran, is heavily involved as well with his involvement with the Veterans Assistance Commission, Honor Guard, Mission K9 Warrior, and more.
Election day was a busy day for both Roberson and Schweizer. Roberson’s campaign offered coffee, donuts and rides to the polls. Roberson also made appearances in Champaign, Rantoul, and more.
“I’m actually choking back tears today,” Buttram added with a hint of emotion. “We have our townspeople, and we have our rural people. We have our farmers. We have our military. We have our blue-collar, our white-collar workers. It’s a very nice, diverse group of people.”
While Schweizer lost, he did give accolades to Roberson in his concession post on social media.
“I want to congratulate Mary Catherine on her victory. I sincerely wish you the very best as you prepare to represent the people of the 104th District,” Schweizer shared. “I want you to know that my office will be available to work with you and your staff throughout this transition. We will do everything we can to ensure that constituent services continue as seamlessly as possible. Because at the end of the day, this position has never been about any one person or political party. It’s about the people we have the privilege of serving.”
Roberson will be sworn into office on Jan. 13, 2027.