Democrat State Representative Nancy Dembowski has decided to end her 26 year political career. In her time, Dembowski served as a county councilman, mayor, state senator, and state representative.
Dembowski talks about her proudest moments as the Mayor of Knox.
“Everything from the Community Center and I’m especially proud of the police force that we were able to have for 11 years,” said Dembowski. “There are so many things. I think the accomplishments that we made and the improvements that we made in our community are some of the things I am most proud of.”
She was named as the State Senate upon the retirement of Bill Alexa. She finished out the term and then returned home after her only defeat to Vic Heinhold.
When state party leaders encouraged her to throw her hat into the ring for the 17th District Representative seat, she accepted the challenge. She was successful in three campaigns. A staunch supporter of what she called “the working men and women” in her district, Nancy Dembowski was part of a group of Democrats who went to Urbana, Illinois to try to stall “right to work” legislation. For this she was both praised and scorned, but she stuck with her convictions.
“I just feel strongly that I never stopped fighting for the working families in my district and tried to help them in any way that I could. I think those are the things that I’m most proud of.”
She said politics was the furthest thing from her mind when she was younger.
“I never remembered when I was growing up thinking someday I wanted to be in government or in politics. That was not something that I had never even thought about or aspired to but it’s strange where life leads you sometimes, isn’t it?”
On November 6th, Nancy will return home. She was asked what she will do when she steps down from her seat in the legislature.
“I really don’t know,” she replied. “The things that seems most attractive right now is to just be able to do what I’d like to do when I’d like to do it.”
