It was a tight race until the end, but only one person could win.

Denise O’Brien, Democratic candidate for Iowa secretary of agriculture, had her family close as she learned the news of her loss to her Republican opponent Bill Northey on Tuesday.

“Win, lose or draw, it doesn’t matter to us,” said John O’Brien, her younger brother. “She’s making a difference.”

O’Brien, an Atlantic, Iowa, farmer of 30 years, focused her campaign around support for beginning farmers and women landowners.

“Women usually get the land from the passing of a spouse,” she said. “I want to create a network for them to support each other in their time of grief.”

She said has spoken with approximately 1,000 woman landowners since she started her campaign in April 2005. Many women with the land have no desire to farm, but would like to see it continue in the hands of the family farmer, which is where the beginning farmers come in.

She had high hopes that her efforts would bring Iowa a program that could connect the two groups to get the best of both worlds.

Farming has been a primarily male-oriented occupation, but O’Brien said she has been working to bring the female touch to the land.

“For the first time ever, we put the woman’s voice in the Farm Bill,” she said of the national policy that has been in place since 1985.

O’Brien has emphasized safe and healthy farmers, families and Iowa. She said she was disappointed not to be able to pursue that dream herself.

O’Brien said she is happy the race has come to a close, but couldn’t have done it without the support of her family and friends.

“We’re looking forward to relaxing and being a family again for Thanksgiving,” John said. “The family has always been real close.”

O’Brien said it was a great night for Democrats, which was apparent with Iowa’s choice of Chet Culver for governor.