Illinois Senate

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 will decide a slate of statewide races in the 2026 midterms. Gov. JB Pritzker, seeking a third term, faces Republican Darren Bailey and independent Collin Corbett. Attorney General Kwame Raoul, who has filed numerous lawsuits against the Trump administration over federal funding cuts, faces Republican Bob Fioretti. Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias, also eyeing a 2027 Chicago mayoral bid, faces Republican Diane M. Harris. Comptroller Susana Mendoza is retiring to run for Chicago mayor, leaving Democratic state Rep. Margaret Croke against Republican Bryan Drew. A special legislative race pits appointed Rep. Jessica Dixon Heitman against Republican Gabby Shanahan, following Harry Benton's resignation amid harassment allegations.

Illinois made history last fall as the first state to pass a law preparing for climate-driven migration, but implementation of the Climate Displacement Act has stalled a year later. The law created a 17-seat task force to study how domestic and international climate migration could strain the state's infrastructure and resources, with a first report due in December. As of last week, only one appointment had been made to the board, and officials have yet to convene it despite the looming deadline.

State Senator Graciela Guzman, who sponsored the bill after California's 2025 wildfires, said she has received no clear timeline from Governor JB Pritzker's administration, though Senate President Don Harmon said he would move to appoint her to the task force. Illinois, along with parts of the Midwest, has been floated as a potential "climate haven," though experts dispute the concept given the state's own recent flooding, tornadoes, and wildfire smoke. Other states, including Maine, California, Hawaii, New Jersey, and Alaska, have taken more limited steps toward climate relocation planning.

Florida's 19th Congressional District, a reliably Republican Southwest Florida seat being vacated by Byron Donalds as he runs for governor, holds its primary Tuesday with an unusually crowded field of ten Republicans. Several contenders arrived after political careers elsewhere: Madison Cawthorn (North Carolina), Chris Collins (New York, pardoned by Trump after an insider-trading conviction), Catalina Lauf and Jim Oberweis (both from Illinois), and Ola Hawatmeh (New York). Local media figure Jim Schwartzel and Jan. 6 defendant John Strand, also pardoned by Trump, are among the other candidates. Much of the race has centered on questions of "Florida authenticity," with candidates accusing rivals of being carpetbaggers despite many having shallow ties to the district themselves.

Trump endorsed Lauf in the campaign's final days, citing her prior role as a Commerce Department adviser during his first term. She has framed herself as an outsider best positioned to represent Trump-aligned voters, while rivals like Oberweis point to decades of Florida residency as their claim to legitimacy. The winner will be heavily favored in the general election given the district's strong Republican lean.