Narrowly losing to then-Illinois state Senator and Minority Leader Dan McConchie, R-Hawthorn Woods, two years ago by less than 400 votes out of the more than 88,000 cast, Democrat Maria Peterson of North Barrington is challenging state Rep. Martin McLaughlin, R-Barrington Hills.

Though they disagree on a number of issues, McLaughlin and Peterson said they have knocked on thousands of doors during the campaign and believe they have a sense of voters’ concerns in the 52nd State House Representative District, which includes parts of southeast Lake County.

Voters will decide whether to return McLaughlin to Springfield or replace him with Peterson as their voice in the 52nd State House District of the Illinois General Assembly when they cast their ballots in the Nov. 5 general election.

First elected in 2020, McLaughlin, 59, is running for his third term in Springfield. Before becoming a legislator, he was the village president of Barrington Hills from 2013 to 2021. Along with his duties as a lawmaker, he is an investment manager specializing in pensions.

During his tenure in the state House, McLaughlin said he is most proud of coupling his knowledge of municipal government and ability to work both sides of the aisle to pass legislation making design projects in towns less expensive and more efficient. It became law last year.

Retired as both a lawyer and small business consultant, Peterson said her full-time job now is getting elected to the state House of Representatives and, once there, making her sole occupation representing her constituents. She learned two years ago it was the best way to go.

“I’m a full-time candidate, and I will be a full-time representative with an emphasis on families, senior citizens, veterans, women’s rights, the environment and reducing gun violence,” Peterson said. “I’ve knocked on 10,000 doors, and women’s reproductive health is still the top issue.”

While abortion is legal in Illinois, Peterson said it is not yet “enshrined until it’s in the Illinois Constitution.” She said not only must women and their healthcare providers be protected in Illinois, but those who come to the state for care or to provide it must be shielded, too.

“Republicans have filed a total of 53 bills which are against women’s reproductive rights and anti members of the LGBTQ+ community in the present general assembly,” she said.

Though McLaughlin did not dispute Peterson’s numbers, he said he did not author or support any of those pieces of legislation. In his mind, a woman’s right to elect to have an abortion is settled law in Illinois.

“It’s not a question in the state of Illinois. It is (now) a decision for the states, and abortions are legal here. It has not been a question here in some time,” he said. “It needs to be safe, rare and legal,” he added, referring to his overall position on abortion.

While both candidates want to see legislation that will curb gun violence, McLaughlin said allowing more insurance coverage for treatment of mental health issues will help ensure individuals with problems that could lead to improper use of firearms get treatment.

Seeking a broader approach, Peterson said laws should be enacted that require safe gun storage and, should a gun owner’s weapon be stolen or lost, they should immediately report it to the authorities or be held accountable for its use.

“It’s on the top of every parent’s list,” she said. “They put their child on a school bus and hope they’ll come home. While they’re at school, they have to deal with active shooter drills.”

Creating an environment where gun violence is less prevalent will also allow both the state and local governments to need less tax revenue for public safety. Peterson said it is one way to lower real estate taxes.

McLaughlin said he wants to see the government spend less money. Less spending means less need for tax revenue giving individuals more funds to spend on goods and services they need or want.

“Everything is going up, and our (government) spending is unsustainable,” he said. “This is the reason for rising costs. If the government spends less, people will have more money and the cost of goods will come down.”

The 52nd District includes all or parts of Algonquin, Fox River Grove, South Barrington, Barrington, Barrington Hills, North Barrington, Lake Barrington, Tower Lakes, Island Lake, Wauconda, Volo, Libertyville and Mundelein.

Early voting is underway at the Lake County Building in downtown Waukegan, and will expand to 17 additional locations around the county on Oct. 21. People who wish to vote by mail can request a ballot now from the clerk’s office.