GLENVIEW, Ill. — Republican candidate Glenn Farkas lost tonight to Democrat Daniel Biss in the race for the 9th District Illinois State Senate seat.

“The numbers are what the numbers are,” Farkas said. “I’m very competitive; I don’t want to lose … It just means we start tomorrow, we look at the numbers and figure out where to go from here.”

He stressed he was “running an uphill battle” as the replacement candidate for Mark Levine, adding that he joined the race June 4.

“We did all we could for a short campaign,” he said. “It was going to be tough.”

Farkas expressed frustration with Illinois voters, whom he said need to “wake up” to the state’s corruption and financial woes.

“Do they like running $10 billion deficits? Do they like being in the most corrupt state of the union?” he said. “Maybe there’s just not enough pain yet. The voters have not experienced enough financial, emotional pain yet. And when they do maybe we’ll have an opportunity.”

Though he has not decided whether he will run again, Farkas said he would stay involved in politics. He added that the Republican Party needs to strengthen its organizations at the local level and involve more people like him in politics.

Farkas’ parents, who live in Ohio, came to his watch party in Glenview for “moral support.”

Joseph Farkas said he hopes his son stays involved in politics.

“I am proud of him,” Joseph Farkas said. “He has done a decent job, and I hope he continues to pursue a career in public service down the road.”

Winnetka resident Rhonda Miller (NU ‘73) , who volunteers for the Republican Party, said she was “disappointed” with the results.