Illinois Insights Special Edition: 2026 Primary Election Results (3/18)

2026 ILLINOIS PRIMARY ELECTIONS

OVERVIEW 

Illinois voters cast ballots Tuesday in the state’s primary elections, setting the field for the November 2026 general election. The primary featured competitive races at the federal, statewide, legislative, and Cook County levels, including a closely watched contest to succeed retiring U.S. Senator Dick Durbin. 

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FEDERAL 

U.S. Senate 

Topping the ballot was the race to succeed retiring U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D), who announced he would not seek a sixth term. On the Democratic side, Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton, endorsed by Gov. JB Pritzker, defeated U.S. Reps. Robin Kelly and Raja Krishnamoorthi, winning 40.1 percent of the vote. On the Republican side, former Illinois Republican Party Chair Don Tracy secured the nomination with 39.9 percent.

U.S. House 

Several Chicago‑area congressional seats were open following retirements or members running for higher office. Because these districts are safely Democratic, the primary winners are expected to prevail in November. 

• 2nd District: Cook County Commissioner Donna Miller defeated former U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr., 41 percent to 29 percent. Miller will face Republican Michael Noack, who ran unopposed.

• 7th District: State Rep. La Shawn Ford defeated Chicago City Treasurer Melissa Conyears‑Ervin, 23.8 percent to 20.4 percent, in a crowded field. Ford will face Republican Chad Koppie in November.

• 8th District: Former U.S. Rep. Melissa Bean won the Democratic primary to succeed Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, capturing 31.8 percent of the vote.

• 9th District: Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss defeated Kat Abughazaleh, 29.5 percent to 26 percent, in a closely contested primary. State Sen. Laura Fine finished third with 20.3 percent. Biss was endorsed by retiring Rep. Jan Schakowsky.

STATEWIDE 

• Governor: Gov. JB Pritzker (D) ran unopposed in the Democratic primary.       Republicans nominated former state Sen. Darren Bailey, who won with 53.5       percent of the vote, setting up a rematch of the 2022 gubernatorial race.

• Attorney General: Incumbent Kwame Raoul (D) and Republican Bob Fioretti both ran unopposed. 

• Secretary of State:  Incumbent Alexi Giannoulias (D) was unopposed; Diane Harris secured the Republican nomination. 

• Comptroller: With Susana Mendoza (D) not seeking reelection, the Democratic primary remains close as ballots are still being counted. State Rep. Margaret Croke, endorsed by Gov. Pritzker, declared victory over three opponents and holds a narrow lead over State Sen. Karina Villa with 91 percent of the vote reporting.  
• Treasurer: Treasurer Michael Frerichs (D) ran unopposed, and no Republican candidate appeared on the primary ballot. 

 ILLINOIS GENERAL ASSEMBLY 

 Illinois House 

• 12th District: Paul Kendrick (D), endorsed by outgoing Rep. Margaret Croke, led a four‑candidate field to replace Croke with 47.8 percent of the vote in the Democratic primary.
• 13th District: With incumbent Rep. Hoan Huynh (D) running for Congress to succeed Rep. Jan Schakowsky, Demi Palecek won the Democratic primary, defeating James O’Brien, Sunjay Kumar, Adam Braun, and Ridge Knapp.
• 34th District: With incumbent Rep. Nick Smith (D) not seeking reelection, Cleopatra Cowley defeated Aja Kearney in the Democratic primary, winning 59 percent of the vote. Cowley is the mother of Hadiya Pendleton, who was killed in a 2013 South Side shooting.

• 40th District: Community organizer Miguel Alvelo‑Rivera (D) defeated Democratic incumbent Rep. Jaime Andrade Jr., 55.7 percent to 44.3 percent. Andrade Jr. had held the seat since 2013. 
• 94th District: Incumbent State Rep. Norine Hammond (R), who has represented the district since 2010, was defeated in the Republican primary by Joshua Higgins, who won 57.8 percent of the vote. Hammond received 32.4 percent.

Illinois Senate 

• 6th District: Incumbent Sen. Sara Feigenholtz (D) defeated challenger Nick Uniejewski, 55.8 percent to 44.2 percent.

• 9th District: Patrick Hanley (D) narrowly defeated Rachel Ruttenberg, 51.6 percent to 48.4 percent, in a race to succeed Sen. Laura Fine, who ran for Congress.

• 14th District: Incumbent Sen. Emil Jones III (D) secured renomination with 60.7 percent of the vote.

COOK COUNTY 

 Cook County Board President 

• Incumbent President Toni Preckwinkle (D) defeated Ald. Brendan Reilly, 68.5 percent to 31.5 percent, in the Democratic primary and will face Republican Michael Murphy in November.

Cook County Assessor 

• Incumbent Assessor Fritz Kaegi lost to challenger Pat Hynes, who won 52.5 percent of the vote to Kaegi’s 47.5 percent.

Cook County Board of Review

• District 1: Incumbent George Cardenas defeated challenger Juanitta Irizarry, who was backed by Assessor Kaegi, 55 percent to 45 percent.
• District 2: Challenger Elizabeth “Liz” Nicholson unseated incumbent Samantha Steele, winning over 60 percent of the vote. 

*All election results current as of Wednesday, March 18, 2026 at 4:00 PM CST

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