Illinois Insights Special Edition: 2026 Midterm Election Results

2026 ILLINOIS MIDTERM ELECTIONS

OVERVIEW 

The 2026 Illinois midterm elections reinforced Democratic strength across the state, with Democrats winning the U.S. Senate race, maintaining a 14–3 advantage in Illinois’ U.S. House delegation, sweeping statewide constitutional offices, and expanding their already sizable majorities in the Illinois General Assembly. Democrats also maintained control of Cook County government, while Chicago voters elected the city’s first fully elected 21-member Board of Education, ending three decades of mayoral control. Voters in Chicago and Cook County also broadly supported the advisory referendums appearing on their ballots.

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FEDERAL 

U.S. Senate — Juliana Stratton (D)

Juliana Stratton won Illinois’ open U.S. Senate seat, defeating Republican Don Tracy with about 61% of the vote. The victory sends Stratton to Washington as Illinois’ newest U.S. senator and keeps the seat in Democratic hands. Illinois will become the first state in the US to have two women of color in the Senate at once.

U.S. House 

Illinois’ congressional delegation remains strongly Democratic, with Democrats winning 14 of the state’s 17 U.S. House seats and Republicans winning three. Most incumbents were re-elected, while several open Democratic seats elected new representatives.

An overview of the Illinois U.S. House races and their outcomes is below.

• 2nd District — Donna Miller (D): Cook County Commissioner Donna Miller won the open seat with about 73% of the vote and will succeed outgoing U.S. Rep. Robin Kelly, keeping the seat under Democratic control.
• 4th District — Patty Garcia (D): Won the open Chicago-area seat with about 71%, maintaining Democratic control.
• 7th District — La Shawn Ford (D): Won the open seat with about 89%, moving from the Illinois General Assembly to Congress.
• 8th District — Melissa Bean (D): Former U.S. Rep. Melissa Bean won the open 8th District with about 65% of the vote, keeping the seat Democratic. Bean returns to Congress after previously representing the 8th District from 2005 to 2011.
• 9th District — Daniel Biss (D): Won the open seat with about 76%, maintaining Democratic control.
• 16th District — Darin LaHood (R): Won re-election with about 59%, the narrowest winning percentage among Illinois’ congressional winners.

STATEWIDE 

• Governor: Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker won a third term as Illinois governor, defeating Republican Darren Bailey in a rematch of the 2022 election with approximately 60% of the vote. Pritzker becomes the first Democrat in Illinois history to win election to a third term as governor and the first governor of either party to do so since Republican Jim Thompson in 1982. Pritzker also led in McHenry County, traditionally the most Republican-leaning of Chicago’s collar counties and a county that has historically favored Republican gubernatorial candidates.
• Lieutenant Governor: Christian Mitchell (D) was elected Illinois’ 49th lieutenant governor as JB Pritzker’s running mate, defeating the Republican ticket of Darren Bailey and Aaron Del Mar. Pritzker selected Mitchell, a former Illinois deputy governor and state representative, as his running mate in July 2025 after Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton announced her campaign for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by retiring Sen. Dick Durbin.
• Attorney General: Attorney General Kwame Raoul won re-election to a third term, receiving roughly 62% of the vote.
• Secretary of State:  Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias won re-election to a second term, receiving approximately 65% of the vote.
• Comptroller: State Rep. Margaret Croke won the Illinois Comptroller race with about 61% of the vote, keeping the state’s chief financial office under Democratic control while bringing a new officeholder to the position. Croke, who has represented Illinois’ 12th District since 2021, will succeed outgoing Comptroller Susana Mendoza.
• Treasurer: Treasurer Michael Frerichs won re-election to a fourth term, receiving roughly 62% of the vote.

ILLINOIS GENERAL ASSEMBLY 

Democrats expanded their already sizable majorities in the Illinois General Assembly, flipping multiple Republican-held seats in both chambers while several additional races remained outstanding. With three Senate races and seven House contests still uncalled as of Wednesday morning, Democrats had secured 44 of 59 Senate seats and 80 of 118 House seats. If all outstanding Democratic leads hold, those margins could grow to 46-13 in the Senate and 85-33 in the House.

Illinois House Key Contested Races

Democrats have flipped at least two Republican-held House districts, including an open Republican seat in DuPage County and a seat held by a Republican incumbent. Democrats also successfully defended two closely watched seats, while Democratic challengers led several additional Republican incumbents in races that remained uncalled.

An overview of key contested Illinois House races and their outcomes is below.

• 47th District | Erica Bray-Parker (D): Bray-Parker won the open 47th District, defeating Republican Robert Vrankovich by approximately 59% to 41%. The seat was previously held by retiring Republican Rep. Amy Grant, who won re-election by only 292 votes in 2024, making Bray-Parker’s victory a Democratic pickup.
• 52nd District | Maria Peterson (D): Peterson defeated Republican Rep. Martin McLaughlin, receiving 55.9% of the vote to McLaughlin’s 44.1%. The race was a rematch of their 2024 contest, when McLaughlin defeated Peterson by just 47 votes.
• 76th District | Rep. Amy “Murri” Briel (D): Briel won re-election, defeating Republican Liz Bishop with roughly 57% of the vote and keeping the district under Democratic control.
• 97th District | Rep. Jessica Dixon Heitman (D): Heitman won the 97th District with about 61% of the vote, keeping the seat under Democratic control. Heitman was appointed to represent the district in July 2026 following the resignation of Democratic Rep. Harry Benton of Plainfield.

Democratic candidates also lead in five additional Republican-held House districts that remain uncalled:

• 48th District: Democrat Amanda Zahorak currently leads Republican Rep. Jennifer Sanalitro, 54.7% to 45.3%, in a race that remains uncalled. If Zahorak’s lead holds, the result would flip the Republican-held district to Democratic control.
• 65th District: Democrat Ricky Rivard leads Republican Rep. Dan Ugaste, 58.1% to 41.9%.
• 70th District: Democrat Veronica Garcia-Martinez leads Republican Rep. Jeff Keicher, 52.7% to 47.3%.
• 104th District: Democrat Mary Catherine Roberson leads Republican Rep. Brandun Schweizer, 51.3% to 48.7%.
• 114th District: Democrat George McClellan holds a narrow lead over Republican Rep. Kevin Schmidt, 50.8% to 49.2%.

Illinois Senate Key Contested Races

Democrats have now flipped five Republican-held Senate districts, including three seats held by Republican incumbents and two open Republican-held seats.

An overview of key contested Illinois Senate races and their outcomes is below.

• 24th District | Benjamin McAdams (D): McAdams defeated Republican Sen. Seth Lewis with approximately 54.6% of the vote, flipping the suburban district from Republican to Democratic control.
• 26th District | Rep. Nabeela Syed (D): Syed defeated Republican Sen. Darby Hills, 57.1% to 42.9%, in one of the state’s most expensive legislative contests. The race, which pitted two sitting state lawmakers against each other, attracted approximately $6.5 million in contributions, with Syed significantly outraising Hills.
• 32nd District | Karen Battaglia (D): Battaglia defeated Republican Sen. Craig Wilcox, 52.7% to 47.3%, flipping the Republican-held district to Democratic control.
• 33rd District | Michele Clark (D): Clark won the open 33rd District, defeating Republican Danielle Penman 62.2% to 37.8%. The seat is currently held by retiring Republican Sen. Don DeWitte, making Clark’s victory another Democratic pickup.
• 56th District | Marsia Geldert-Murphey (D): Geldert-Murphey defeated Republican Sen. Erica Harriss with approximately 52.9% of the vote, flipping a district Harriss had narrowly won in 2022.

Two additional Senate races remain notable:

• 35th District: Democrat Sarah B. Mertens holds a narrow 50.6% to 49.4% lead over Republican Sen. Dave Syverson. If Mertens’ lead holds, the district would become a sixth Republican-held Senate seat flipped by Democrats.
• 38th District: Republican Sen. Sue Rezin leads Democrat Ernie Marcelain, 52.0% to 48.0%.

COOK COUNTY 

Cook County Board President 

Democrat Toni Preckwinkle won re-election to a fifth term as Cook County Board President with 79.3% of the vote, defeating Libertarian challenger Michael Murphy.

Cook County Assessor 

Democrat Pat Hynes won the Cook County Assessor race with 85.9% of the vote, defeating Libertarian challenger Nico Tsatsoulis. Hynes’ victory brings a new officeholder to the county agency responsible for assessing property values for taxation.

Cook County Clerk

Democrat Monica Gordon won re-election unopposed to a second term as Cook County Clerk.

Cook County Sheriff

Democrat Thomas J. Dart won re-election to a sixth term as Cook County Sheriff, defeating Libertarian challenger Brad Sandefur.

Cook County Treasurer

Democrat Maria Pappas won re-election unopposed to an eighth term as Cook County Treasurer.

Cook County Board of Review

Democrats maintained control of the two Cook County Board of Review seats on the 2026 ballot, with both general election races uncontested. Incumbent George Cardenas won re-election in District 1, while Elizabeth “Liz” Nicholson won District 2 after defeating incumbent Samantha Steele in the Democratic primary.

Cook County Board of Commissioners

Democrats won all 17 seats on the Cook County Board of Commissioners, eliminating the Board’s sole Republican-held seat. Six Democratic incumbents, Tara Stamps (1st), Michael Scott Jr. (2nd), Bill Lowry (3rd), Stanley Moore (4th), Alma Anaya (7th), and Scott Britton (14th), ran unopposed. Incumbent Commissioners Kisha McCaskill (5th), Jessica Vasquez (8th), Maggie Trevor (9th), John Daley (11th), and Josina Morita (13th) also won re-election in contested races. Three incoming commissioners, Patricia Joan “Trish” Murphy (6th), Drake Warren (10th), and Miranda Hernandez (16th), ran unopposed, while Elizabeth Granato (12th), Ted Mason (15th), and Elyse Hoffenberg (17th) won contested open-seat races. In the 17th District, Hoffenberg defeated former Republican Commissioner Liz Gorman with approximately 57% of the vote, flipping the seat held by retiring Republican Commissioner Sean Morrison and leaving the Board entirely under Democratic control.

METROPOLITAN WATER RECLAMATION DISTRICT

Democratic incumbents Eira Corral Sepúlveda, Precious Brady-Davis, and Beth McElroy Kirkwood hold substantial leads in the races for three six-year terms on the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago Board of Commissioners. The three incumbents collectively hold over 78% of the vote over Republican challengers Michelle Pennington, Timothy Rueckert, and Jill Shestokas, with 73.7% of the total vote counted. Democratic Commissioner Cam Davis was also re-elected unopposed to a two-year term.

CHICAGO SCHOOL BOARD

School Board President

Jessica Biggs, a current board member and former CPS principal, is set to become Chicago’s first elected Board of Education president. Biggs received 48.6% of the vote, compared with approximately 30.9% for CTU-endorsed Dominguez and 17.8% for attorney Victor Henderson. Biggs was backed by SEIU, the Chicago Federation of Labor, several current and former CPS administrators, and the Common Ground Collective, an anti-CTU political action committee.

School Board District Representatives

Chicago voters elected representatives across 20 districts as the city completed its transition to a fully elected 21-member Board of Education. The contests included several current board members seeking to retain their seats, some originally elected in 2024 and others appointed by Mayor Brandon Johnson.

• District 1A: Margie Luczak won with 66.7% of the vote, defeating Johnson-appointed incumbent Ed Bannon, who received 33.3% and was backed by both CTU and SEIU. Luczak received financial support from the Illinois Network of Charter Schools (INCS) Action PAC.
• District 1B: Claudia Peralta won with 62.9%, defeating Michelle Pierre, who received 37.1% and was endorsed by the Common Ground Collective and financially supported by the INCS Action PAC. Peralta was backed by CTU and SEIU.
• District 2A: Elected incumbent Ebony DeBerry, who first won her seat in 2024, won re-election with 67.6%, defeating Hector Morales, who received 32.4% and was endorsed by the Common Ground Collective. DeBerry was backed by both CTU and SEIU.
• District 2B: Incumbent Deborah “Debby” Pope, who was backed by CTU, won with 63.5%. Kyna Lenhof received 24.6% and was endorsed by the Common Ground Collective and financially supported by the INCS Action PAC; Daniel Basco received 11.9%.
• District 3A: Johnson-appointed incumbent Norma Rios Sierra, who was backed by both CTU and SEIU, won with 70.1%, defeating Peter Gonzales, who received 29.9% and was endorsed by the Common Ground Collective and financially supported by the INCS Action PAC.
• District 3B: CTU-backed Jason Dónes leads elected incumbent Carlos Rivas Jr., 50.3% to 49.7%, in a race that remains uncalled. Rivas was backed by SEIU and endorsed by the Common Ground Collective, with financial support from the INCS Action PAC.
• District 4A: Incumbent Karen Zaccor, a Johnson appointee and CTU ally, won with 44.2% of the vote. Ellen Sherratt received 38.3% and was supported by SEIU, endorsed by the Common Ground Collective, and financially supported by the INCS Action PAC; Angel Alvarez received 17.6%.
• District 4B: Elected incumbent Ellen Rosenfeld, who won her seat in 2024, ran unopposed and will serve another four-year term. Rosenfeld was endorsed by the Common Ground Collective and financially supported by the INCS Action PAC.
• District 5A: LaPamela Williams won with 64.4%, defeating incumbent and CTU-backed Aaron “Jitu” Brown, who received 35.7%. Williams was endorsed by the Common Ground Collective and financially supported by the INCS Action PAC.
• District 5B: Incumbent Michilla Blaise, who was endorsed by CTU, leads Anthony Hargrove, 52.7% to 47.3%, in a race that remains uncalled. Hargrove was backed by SEIU, endorsed by the Common Ground Collective, and financially supported by the INCS Action PAC.
• District 6A: Isaiah White leads with 34.5% in a three-way race that remains uncalled. Johnson-appointed incumbent Anusha Thotakura, who was backed by CTU and SEIU, has 33.7%, while Brenda Anderson has 31.8%. White was endorsed by the Common Ground Collective and financially supported by the INCS Action PAC.
• District 6B: Brittany Kimble won with 62.7%, defeating Michael L. Neal, who received 37.3% and was endorsed by the Common Ground Collective. Neither candidate was endorsed by CTU or SEIU. The INCS Action PAC financially supported Kimble.
• District 7A: Johnson-appointed incumbent Emma Lozano, who was backed by CTU, leads Jesus Ayala Jr., 54.4% to 45.6%, in a race that remains uncalled. Ayala was endorsed by the Common Ground Collective and financially supported by the INCS Action PAC.
• District 7B: Elected incumbent Yesenia Lopez, who first won her seat in 2024, won re-election with 68.5%, defeating Erika Diaz-Chavez, who received 31.5% and was financially supported by the INCS Action PAC. Lopez was endorsed by SEIU and a CTU-funded PAC, although CTU itself did not endorse a candidate in the race.
• District 8A: Elected incumbent Angel Gutierrez, who first won his seat in 2024, ran unopposed and will serve another four-year term. Gutierrez was endorsed by the Common Ground Collective and financially supported by the INCS Action PAC.
• District 8B: Juan Ignacio González won after appearing as the only candidate on the ballot, though he faced a write-in challenge. González received financial support from the INCS Action PAC. Johnson-appointed incumbent Cydney Wallace was removed from the ballot following a challenge to her petition signatures.
• District 9A: Brittany Bailey Preston won unopposed after Johnson-appointed incumbent Angel Velez failed to qualify for the ballot. Preston was endorsed by the Common Ground Collective.
• District 9B: Elected incumbent Therese Boyle, who first won her seat in 2024, won re-election with 72.0%, defeating CTU-backed challenger Katherine Dunneback, who received approximately 28.0%. Boyle received SEIU support, was endorsed by the Common Ground Collective, and received financial support from the INCS Action PAC.
• District 10A: Elected incumbent Che “Rhymefest” Smith, who first won his seat in 2024, won re-election after facing a write-in challenge from CTU-backed Tameka Walton. Smith was endorsed by the Common Ground Collective and financially supported by the INCS Action PAC.
• District 10B: Johnson-appointed incumbent Connie Anderson, who was backed by CTU, won with 62.9%, defeating Patrick Watson, who received 37.1%. Watson received SEIU support, was endorsed by the Common Ground Collective, and received financial support from the INCS Action PAC.

The results point to a closely divided Board of Education rather than a clear governing majority. Chalkbeat reported that 10 CTU-backed candidates were leading in district races, one short of the 11 votes needed for a majority on the 21-member board. With SEIU-backed Jessica Biggs set to serve as the board’s first elected president, neither labor coalition appears positioned to control the board outright.

ADVISORY REFERENDUMS

Chicago voters weighed in on several non-binding advisory questions in Tuesday’s election. While the results do not automatically change city or state law, they provide a measure of voter sentiment that elected officials and advocacy groups may use to support future policy proposals.

City of Chicago

• Gunshot-Detection Technology: Chicago voters strongly supported restarting the city’s use of gunshot-detection technology, with 72.5% voting Yes.
• Permanent Festival and Outdoor Event Space: Voters supported developing a permanent space in Chicago for large-scale festivals and outdoor events, with 67.8% voting Yes.
• Federal Compensation for Immigration Operations: 84.9% of voters supported directing the City to pursue lawful means of recovering federal compensation for costs and economic impacts associated with federal immigration enforcement operations, including lost tax revenue, public-safety response costs, and services provided to affected residents and families.
• Millionaire-Surcharge Revenue for K–12 Education: 80.6% of voters supported using revenue from a proposed surcharge on millionaires to increase funding for public schools.
• Vacant and Underdeveloped Property Charge: 73.8% of voters supported requiring owners of long-term vacant or undeveloped commercial or investment properties to pay an additional annual charge to support Chicago Public Schools.

Cook County

Millionaire Income-Tax Surcharge: 75% of Cook County voters supported a proposed 3% income-tax surcharge on millionaires, with the revenue intended for property-tax relief and public education.

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