Illinois Senate Election 2026: Voter Turnout

Illinois Democrats gathered at the state fair in Springfield for their annual Democrats' Day, with Gov. JB Pritzker, Sens. Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth, Attorney General Kwame Raoul, and Sen. Elizabeth Warren delivering anti-Trump speeches while downplaying ideological rifts roiling the national party. Warren praised Senate candidate Juliana Stratton for standing up to AIPAC and corporate PACs, touching on divisions over Israel-Gaza policy and campaign finance that have proven more combustible elsewhere. But the celebratory tone was clouded by House Speaker Chris Welch's handling of a sexual harassment scandal involving former Rep. Harry Benton, and the recent indictment of Rep. Carol Ammons and her husband on fraud charges. Welch skipped the main event; three House Democrats have refused to join his working group on the harassment issue, calling its formation flawed.

A day later, Republicans held their own fairground rally, with Gov. candidate Darren Bailey and running mate Aaron Del Mar attacking Pritzker over cost of living, public safety and schools while avoiding mention of Trump. Senate candidate Don Tracy branded Stratton and Democratic Socialist allies as extreme, and House GOP leader Tony McCombie renewed criticism of Welch. Separately, the DNC narrowed its 2028 convention host shortlist to Boston, Denver and Philadelphia, excluding Chicago, which hosted in 2024 and remains in contention for 2032. Pritzker's campaign also launched a TV ad branding Bailey as extreme ahead of November.

Former U.S. Rep. Melissa Bean, a centrist Democrat, is seeking a political comeback in Illinois' 8th Congressional District, facing Republican newcomer Jennifer Davis in the Nov. 3 general election. The seat is open after Democratic Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, who has endorsed Bean, left to run unsuccessfully for U.S. Senate. An independent write-in candidate, Christopher Krumpac, is also running.

The district, which stretches from the northwest Chicago suburbs to Elgin and the Fox River Valley, leans solidly Democratic. Bean, who first won the seat in 2004 and served until 2011, has outraised Davis, aided in part by a super PAC tied to AIPAC that drew progressive criticism during the primary. Davis, a tech entrepreneur making her first run for office, has loaned her own campaign $1 million to stay competitive.

The candidates diverge sharply on abortion, immigration, and Trump-era policies, with Bean casting the race as a check on the administration and Davis positioning herself as a political outsider focused on small business and economic concerns.

Illinois Senate District 33 is contested in the Nov. 3 general election between Democrat Michele Clark of Algonquin and Republican Danielle Penman of St. Charles. Both candidates cite affordability as a top voter concern, particularly rising property taxes, utility and grocery costs, and healthcare expenses.

Penman says she would prioritize lowering health insurance premiums, boosting the local economy for small and large businesses, and addressing law enforcement staffing shortages. Clark points to political ethics as a key issue, proposing a ban on stock trading by General Assembly members, expanded term limits, prescription drug cost caps, and childcare cost relief through business tax incentives.

Illinois voters head to the polls Nov. 3 to fill an open U.S. Senate seat and decide contests for governor, attorney general, secretary of state, comptroller and treasurer. Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton faces Republican Don Tracy for the Senate seat being vacated by Dick Durbin. Gov. J.B. Pritzker, running with new lieutenant governor pick Christian Mitchell, seeks a third term in a rematch against Darren Bailey, who has Donald Trump's endorsement and running mate Aaron Del Mar.

Incumbent Attorney General Kwame Raoul faces Republican Bob Fioretti, while Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias, now also running for Chicago mayor, is challenged by Republican Diane Harris. With Comptroller Susana Mendoza not seeking re-election amid her own mayoral bid, Democrat Margaret Croke and Republican Bryan Drew are competing for that office. Treasurer Mike Frerichs seeks re-election against Republican Max Solomon. The races will shape state policy on taxes, spending oversight, abortion access and Illinois' relationship with the Trump administration, with early and mail voting available ahead of Election Day.

With Election Day a week away, Illinois Democrats are campaigning beyond state lines to aid party allies nationally. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi backed Texas Railroad Commissioner candidate Jon Rosenthal; Sen. Tammy Duckworth campaigned for Sherrod Brown in Ohio; Rahm Emanuel canvassed in New Hampshire; and Rep. Danny Davis and successor nominee La Shawn Ford campaigned for Wisconsin gubernatorial candidate David Crowley. Gov. JB Pritzker is focused on his own reelection, holding a large cash advantage and backing fellow Democrats financially.

Big money is also flowing into Illinois races, including Chicago school board contests, with GOP megadonors Dick and Elizabeth Uihlein and wealthy Democratic-aligned groups both spending heavily to shape outcomes from Springfield to Chicago.

Illinois voters will choose a successor to retiring Democratic Senator Dick Durbin, who is stepping down after 30 years in office. Three candidates are on the November ballot: Democrat Juliana Stratton, the state's Lieutenant Governor since 2019; Republican Don Tracy, an attorney and former chairman of the Illinois Republican Party; and Whitfield Harrington Jr., a pastor running under the newly forming American Center Party.

Stratton has emphasized affordability, proposing a $25 federal minimum wage and Medicare for all, with a focus on lowering healthcare costs. Tracy has criticized Democratic policies as driving up inflation and the cost of living, pledging to address root economic causes rather than embrace what he calls "socialism." Harrington, positioning his party as a centrist alternative, is campaigning on lowering food costs and making the first year of community college free.

The race is a closely watched contest in a reliably Democratic state, with cost-of-living concerns emerging as the dominant theme across all three campaigns.

Illinois voters will choose a successor to retiring Sen. Dick Durbin, who is stepping down after three decades in office. Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton, a Democrat who defeated Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi in a contentious primary, faces former Illinois GOP chairman Don Tracy in the general election. Independent candidate Whitfield Harrington Jr. is also on the ballot. The winner will join Sen. Tammy Duckworth in representing the blue-leaning state.

The candidates offer a sharp ideological contrast. Stratton is campaigning on progressive priorities including abolishing ICE, Medicare for All, restoring federal abortion protections, stronger gun restrictions, and opposition to President Trump's agenda. Tracy, a Springfield attorney and former chair of the Illinois Gaming Board, favors stronger border enforcement, market-based health care reforms, Second Amendment protections, and has defended parts of Trump's agenda while saying he won't be a "rubber stamp" for either party. Tracy has criticized Stratton for skipping several debates and forums. The two are scheduled to appear together Oct. 20 for a WTTW forum, their only planned joint appearance before Election Day.

Illinois' 2nd Congressional District, stretching from Chicago's South Side through the south suburbs to Kankakee and Danville, is holding an open-seat race after Democrat Robin Kelly, who held the seat since 2012, gave it up for an unsuccessful Senate bid. Democrat Donna Miller, a Cook County commissioner and former healthcare executive, won her primary over candidates including former Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. Republican Mike Noack, a truck driver making his first political run, is campaigning on government dysfunction and immigration reform. Independent write-in candidate Ashley Banks, a former CTA bus driver and freelance journalist, says she entered the race to give downstate and rural voters a stronger voice. Early voting is underway ahead of Election Day on Nov. 3.