Elmhurst's Mazzochi Down By 6 Votes: Unofficial Returns

ELMHURST, IL – The latest results in the House District 45 race show that Democrat Jenn Ladisch Douglass is leading Republican state Rep. Deanne Mazzochi by six votes.

According to unofficial returns, Douglass has 21,259 votes to Mazzochi's 21,253. Both women live in Elmhurst.

Late Wednesday afternoon, Douglass said on Facebook that the race was too close to call because of incoming mail-in ballots that were postmarked by Election Day.

"I have heard reports that supporters of my opponent are trying to disrupt the DuPage County Clerk's office while they do their very important work of counting every properly cast vote," she said.

Early Wednesday evening, Patch left messages with Mazzochi through her campaign Facebook page and website. She has not responded.

In her statement, Douglass said she has "trained and respectful" poll watchers in place to monitor ballots as they are counted in the coming days. She promised not to do anything to disrupt the process.

Douglass said she would accept the final outcome, whether she wins or loses.

"I call on my opponent to do the same," Douglass said. "We do not need local extremists taking a page out of former President Trump's failed handbook by disrupting and disputing the vote-counting process and need to let the Clerk’s office do their work without interference from protestors or my opponent."

In an analysis Wednesday, Patch found that Douglass' strength was in Elmhurst and Westmont, while Mazzochi did well in Hinsdale, Clarendon Hills and Oak Brook.

In the months leading up to the election, Mazzochi denounced Elmhurst School District 205 a number of times over curriculum issues. She called for the superintendent to "clean house."

In 2020, Mazzochi took 54 percent of the vote against Clarendon Hills Democrat Jennifer Zordani.