Mulligan first ran for the Illinois House of Representatives in 1990, eventually losing the Republican primary to conservative incumbent Penny Pullen by six votes. After the first count, she was actually named the winner by 11 votes. The courts then ordered a recount that left the vote tied, and so a coin toss was used to break the tie. Mulligan won the coin toss. Pullen then appealed to the Illinois Supreme Court, which did its own recount that left Pullen the winner. In 1992, Mulligan ran again and won On January 12, 2011 Rep. Mulligan was sworn in for her tenth term as state representative. During her 20 year tenure in the Illinois House, she became a leader on state budget issues, family issues, health care, and early childhood education. She was recognized for her expertise in prescription drugs, problem and compulsive gambling, health insurance coverage and reforms, welfare to work and victims' rights. She served as majority chair or minority spokesman of the Illinois House Human Services Appropriations Committee for 10 years. She received numerous awards and honors and was named "One of the Top 100 Women Making a Difference" by Today's Chicago Woman. In the fall of 2009 Mulligan announced her intention to run for Republican Committeeman of Maine Township Maine Township, Cook County, Illinois against incumbent Mark Thompson. Mulligan gained the support and endorsement of almost all locally elected Republican officials in the Maine Township area. All three of the immediate past presidents of the Maine Township Regular Republican Organization, Sean Sullivan, Jim Smith and Nicholas Milissis, publicly declared their support of Mulligan in a letter to the press. Mulligan won the race on February 2, 2010 and her term as Republican Committeeman of Maine Township ended in March 2014. She did not seek re-election. Mulligan stated that she hoped to bring "unity and organization" back to the Republican Party in Maine Township, something she believes was lacking during Thompson's tenure. She also planned to reinstate many of the precinct captains Thompson let go in recent years and "build bridges" with local Republicans who have not been involved with the organization for some time." Following redistricting, Mulligan opted to seek election in the 55th District, but failed to make the ballot after collecting below the minimum threshold required number of voter signatures. She died following a period of declining health on December 30, 2014 at the age of 73.
