2018 Illinois Attorney General election
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The 2018 Illinois Attorney General election took place on November 6, 2018, to elect the attorney general of Illinois. Incumbent Democratic Attorney General Lisa Madigan, who had served since 2003, did not seek re-election to a fifth term.[1] Democrat Kwame Raoul won the election with 55 percent of the vote, while Republican Erika Harold took 43 percent of the vote.
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November 6, 2018
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| Turnout | 56.16% | ||||||||||||||||
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   Raoul: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% >90% Harold: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% >90% Tie: 40–50% No vote | |||||||||||||||||
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Election information
The primaries and general elections coincided with those for federal congressional races and those for other state offices. The election was part of the 2018 Illinois elections.
Turnout
For the primary elections, turnout was 24.57%, with 1,951,981 votes cast.[2][3] For the general election, turnout was 56.16%, with 4,548,409 votes cast.[2][3]
Democratic primary
Candidates
Declared
- Scott Drury, state representative[4]
- Sharon Fairley, chief administrator of the Chicago Civilian Office of Police Accountability[5]
- Aaron Goldstein, Democratic committeeman for Chicago's 33rd ward and former defense attorney for Rod Blagojevich[5][6]
- Renato Mariotti, former federal prosecutor, television legal analyst and commentator[5]
- Pat Quinn, former governor of Illinois (2009–2015) and lieutenant governor of Illinois (2003–2009)[7]
- Kwame Raoul, state senator[8]
- Nancy Rotering, mayor of Highland Park[5]
- Jesse Ruiz, Chicago Park District President and former chairman of the Illinois State Board of Education[5][9][10]
Declined
- Jennifer Burke, former member of the Illinois Pollution Control Board[11]
- Sarah Burke, director of external affairs at Northwestern Memorial Hospital[11][12]
- Gery Chico, former chairman of the Illinois State Board of Education[13]
- Tom Dart, Cook County sheriff and nominee for Illinois State Treasurer in 2002[14][4]
- Zach Fardon, former United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois[13]
- Kim Foxx, Cook County state's attorney[13][15]
- Jack D. Franks, chairman of the McHenry County Board[8][16]
- James Glasgow, Will County state's attorney[13]
- Mike Hastings, state senator[17]
- David Hoffman, former federal prosecutor, former Chicago Inspector General, and candidate for U.S. Senate in 2010[13]
- Dan Hynes, former Illinois comptroller (1999–2011), candidate for U.S. Senate in 2004, and candidate for governor in 2010[18]
- Lori Lightfoot, president of the Chicago Police Board[13]
- Mike McRaith, former director of the Federal Insurance Office[19]
- Elaine Nekritz, assistant majority Leader of the Illinois House of Representatives[8][6]
- Andrew Schapiro, former United States Ambassador to the Czech Republic[8]
- Ira Silverstein, majority caucus chair of the Illinois Senate.[20]
- Mariyana Spyropoulos, president of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District[21]
- Chris Welch, state representative[20]
- Ann Williams, state representative[4]
- Andrea Zopp, deputy mayor of Chicago and candidate for U.S. Senate in 2016[13]
Endorsements
Aaron Goldstein
Organizations
- 39th Ward Democrats[22]
- Illinois Progressive Network[22]
- Kane County Progressives[23]
- Northside Democracy for America[24]
Scott Drury
Sharon Fairley
Organizations
- American Women's Party[27]
- Illinois National Organization for Women (dual endorsement of both Fairley and Rotering)[28]
Newspapers
Renato Mariotti
U.S. government officials
- Andy Slavitt, former acting administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services[36]
Individuals
- Kirk Acevedo, actor from the HBO series Oz[37]
- Kimberley Johnson, Huffington Post contributor[38]
- Greg Louganis, Olympic gold medalist diver[39]
- Aimee Mann, rock singer-songwriter[40]
- Melissa Jo Peltier, film and TV producer[41]
- Bill Prady, executive producer for The Big Bang Theory[42]
- Tara Strong, voice actress from The Fairly OddParents[43]
Pat Quinn
Organizations
- AMVOTE[44]
Kwame Raoul
U.S. senators
- Roland Burris, former senator[45]
U.S. representatives
- Congressman Danny K. Davis of Illinois's 7th congressional district[46]
- Congresswoman Robin Kelly of Illinois's 2nd congressional district[47]
- Congressman Bobby Rush of Illinois's 1st congressional district[48]
Statewide officials
- Mike Frerichs, state treasurer[49]
State senators
Local officials
- Ameya Pawar, Chicago alderman[51]
Organizations
- 47th Ward Democratic Organization[52]
- AFFI-IAFF[53]
- AFL–CIO[54]
- Chicago Teachers Union[54]
- Cook County Democratic Party[55]
- Illinois Education Association[56]
- Illinois Federation of Teachers[57]
- Independent Voters of Illinois-Independent Precinct Organization[58]
- Kankakee County Democrats[59]
- Madison County Democratic Party[60]
- Service Employees International Union Illinois Council[61]
- St. Clair County Democratic Central Committee[62]
Nancy Rotering
U.S. senators
- Adlai Stevenson III, former senator[63]
U.S. representatives
- Congresswoman Cheri Bustos (D) of Illinois's 17th congressional district[64]
- Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky (D) of Illinois's 9th congressional district[65]
Lt. governors
- Former lt. governor Sheila Simon of Illinois[66]
State representatives
- Former representative Lauren Beth Gash[67]
- Former representative Daniel M. Pierce[68]
Local officials
- Amelia Buragas, Bloomington, Illinois alderman[69]
- Pamela Davidson, Knox County board member (District 3) and Knox County chairwoman[70]
- Eamon Kelley, Evanston Democratic committeeman[71]
- Jackie Traynere, Will County board member[72]
Organizations
- Council for a Livable World[73][28]
- Illinois National Organization for Women (dual endorsement of both Rotering and Fairley)[73]
- National Women's Political Caucus[73]
Jesse Ruiz
U.S. executive branch officials
- Newton N. Minow, 13th chairman of the Federal Communications Commission (1961–1963)[9]
- Penny Pritzker, 38th United States Secretary of Commerce (2013–2017)[9]
U.S. representatives
- Congressman Luis Gutierrez[74]
State representatives
- Lisa Hernandez, Illinois state representative[75]
- Kathleen Willis, Illinois state representative[75]
Local officials
- George Cardenas, Chicago alderman[75]
- Ricardo Muñoz, Chicago alderman[75]
- Daniel Solis, Chicago alderman[75]
Individuals
- Laura Ricketts, businesswoman and co-owner of the Chicago Cubs[9]
- John Rowe, businessman and former CEO of Exelon[9]
Declined to Endorse in Primary
Polling
| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size |
Margin of error |
Kwame Raoul |
Pat Quinn |
Nancy Rotering |
Jesse Ruiz |
Renato Mariotti |
Sharon Fairley |
Aaron Goldstein |
Scott Drury |
Other | Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Victory Research[85] | March 13–16, 2018 | 1,204 | ± 2.8% | 24% | 26% | 6% | 4% | 3% | 8% | 4% | 10% | – | 16% |
| Capitol Fax/We Ask America[86] | March 7–8, 2018 | 1,029 | ± 3.06% | 15% | 23% | 6% | 3% | 3% | 3% | 2% | 3% | – | 43% |
| Southern Illinois University[87] | February 19–25, 2018 | 472 | ± 4.5% | 22% | 18% | 5% | 4% | 3% | 3% | 3% | 2% | 1% | 39% |
Debate
| No. | Date | Host | Moderator | Link | Democratic | Democratic | Democratic | Democratic | Democratic | Democratic | Democratic | Democratic |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Key: P Participant A Absent N Not invited I Invited W Withdrawn |
||||||||||||
| Scott Drury | Sharon Fairley | Aaron Goldstein | Renato Mariotti | Pat Quinn | Kwame Raoul | Nancy Rotering | Jesse Ruiz | |||||
| 1 | January 8, 2018 | Democracy for America | Amara Enyia | [88] | P | P | P | P | P | P | P | P |
| 2 | February 16, 2018 | Illinois Democratic County Chairs Association |
Amanda Vinicky | [89] | P | P | P | P | P | P | P | P |
| 3 | March 4, 2018 | Cards Against Humanity Chicago Sun-Times Lucy Moog 2nd Ward Democrats |
Justin Kaufmann | [90] | P | P | P | P | P | P | P | P |
| 4 | March 7, 2018 | Better Government Association WLS-TV |
YouTube (Part 1) YouTube (Part 2) YouTube (Part 3) YouTube (Part 4) YouTube (Part 5) YouTube (Part 6) |
P | P | P | P | P | P | P | P | |
Results
Raoul
- 20–30%
- 30–40%
- 40–50%
Quinn
- 20–30%
- 30–40%
- 40–50%
- 50–60%
- 60–70%
Rotering
- 20–30%
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Kwame Raoul | 390,472 | 30.17% | |
| Democratic | Pat Quinn | 352,425 | 27.23% | |
| Democratic | Sharon Fairley | 164,304 | 12.70% | |
| Democratic | Nancy Rotering | 123,446 | 9.54% | |
| Democratic | Scott Drury | 102,193 | 7.90% | |
| Democratic | Jesse Ruiz | 70,158 | 5.42% | |
| Democratic | Renato Mariotti | 51,902 | 4.01% | |
| Democratic | Aaron Goldstein | 39,196 | 3.03% | |
| Total votes | 1,294,096 | 100.0% | ||
Republican primary
Candidates
Declared
- Gary Grasso, DuPage County Board member and former mayor of Burr Ridge[91]
- Erika Harold, former Miss America and candidate for Illinois's 13th congressional district in 2014[92]
Declined
- Jason Barickman, state senator[93]
- Daniel Cronin, chairman of the DuPage County Board[20]
- Tom Cross, former minority leader of the Illinois House of Representatives and nominee for Illinois State Treasurer in 2014[20]
- Kirk Dillard, former state senator and candidate for governor in 2010 and 2014[93]
- Jim Durkin, minority leader of the Illinois House of Representatives[20]
- Joseph McMahon, Kane County state's attorney[94][95]
Endorsements
Erika Harold
U.S. representatives[94]
- Congressman Mike Bost (R-Murphysboro) of Illinois's 12th congressional district
- Congressman Rodney Davis (R-Taylorville) of Illinois's 13th congressional district
- Congressman Randy Hultgren (R-Winfield) of Illinois's 14th congressional district
- Congressman Adam Kinzinger (R-Channahon) of Illinois's 16th congressional district
- Congressman Darin LaHood (R-Dunlap) of Illinois's 18th congressional district
- Congressman John Shimkus (R-Collinsville) of Illinois's 15th congressional district
Illinois state senators[96]
- Republican Caucus Chair Pam Althoff (R-McHenry)
- Senator Jason Barickman (R-Bloomington)
- Senator Tim Bivins (R-Dixon)
- Senator Dale Fowler (R-Harrisburg)
- Senator Kyle McCarter (R-Lebanon)
- Republican Caucus Whip Karen McConnaughay (R-St. Charles)
- Senator Jim Oberweis (R-Sugar Grove)
- Assistant Republican Leader Sue Rezin (R-Morris)
- Senator Dale Righter (R-Mattoon)
- Assistant Republican Leader Chapin Rose (R-Champaign)
- Deputy Republican Leader Dave Syverson (R-Rockford)
- Senator Jil Tracy (R-Mount Sterling)
- Senator Chuck Weaver (R-Peoria)
Illinois state representatives[96]
- Representative Mark Batinick (R-Plainfield)
- Deputy Republican Leader Patricia Bellock (R-Hinsdale)
- Representative Tom Bennett (R-Gibson City)
- Representative Avery Bourne (R-Raymond)
- Representative Terri Bryant (R-Murphysboro)
- Representative Tim Butler (R-Springfield)
- Representative John Cavaletto (R-Salem)
- Representative C. D. Davidsmeyer (R-Jacksonville)
- House Republican Leader Jim Durkin (R-Western Springs)
- Representative Randy Frese (R-Quincy)
- Representative Brad Halbrook (R-Shelbyville)
- Assistant Republican Leader Norine Hammond (R-Emmet Township)
- Assistant Republican Leader Chad Hays (R-Catlin)
- Representative Jeanne Ives (R-Wheaton)
- Assistant Republican Leader Michael McAuliffe (R-Chicago)
- Representative Tony McCombie (R-Savanna)
- Representative Margo McDermed (R-Mokena)
- Representative Charles Meier (R-Okawville)
- Representative Tom Morrison (R-Palatine)
- Representative Lindsay Parkhurst (R-Kankakee)
- Representative Robert Pritchard (R-Hinckley)
- Representative Steve Reick (R-Woodstock)
- Assistant Republican Leader David Reis (R-Effingham)
- Representative Nick Sauer (R-Lake Barrington)
- Representative Dave Severin (R-Benton)
- Representative Allen Skillicorn (R-East Dundee)
- Representative Joe Sosnowski (R-Rockford)
- Representative Ryan Spain (R-Peoria)
- Representative Dan Swanson (R-Woodhull)
- Representative Grant Wehrli (R-Naperville)
- Representative Barbara Wheeler (R-Crystal Lake)
- Representative Keith R. Wheeler (R-Oswego)
Local officeholders
Organizations
Newspapers
Polling
| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size |
Margin of error |
Erika Harold |
Gary Grasso |
Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southern Illinois University[87] | February 19–25, 2018 | 259 | ± 6.0% | 18% | 14% | 65% |
Forum
| No. | Date | Host | Moderator | Link | Republican | Republican |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Key: P Participant A Absent N Not invited I Invited W Withdrawn |
||||||
| Gary Grasso | Erika Harold | |||||
| 1 | March 7, 2018 | Better Government Association WLS-TV |
YouTube (Part 1) YouTube (Part 2) YouTube (Part 3) YouTube (Part 4) YouTube (Part 5) |
P | P | |
Results
Harold
- 50–60%
- 60–70%
- 70–80%
- 80–90%
Grasso
- 50–60%
Tie
- 50–60%
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Erika Harold | 389,197 | 59.16% | |
| Republican | Gary Grasso | 268,688 | 40.84% | |
| Total votes | 657,885 | 100.0% | ||
Third party and independents
Candidates
Declared
- Bubba Harsy (Libertarian)[104]
Declined
- Tyson Manker, Iraq War veteran and candidate for Morgan County state's attorney in 2016[105][106][107]
General election
Predictions
| Source | Ranking | As of |
|---|---|---|
| Governing[108] | Lean D | October 26, 2018 |
Forum
| No. | Date | Host | Moderator | Link | Democratic | Democratic | Democratic | Republican | Republican | Democratic | Democratic | Democratic | Democratic | Democratic |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Key: P Participant A Absent N Not invited I Invited W Withdrawn |
||||||||||||||
| Scott Drury | Sharon Fairley | Aaron Goldstein | Gary Grasso | Erika Harold | Renato Mariotti | Pat Quinn | Kwame Raoul | Nancy Rotering | Jesse Ruiz | |||||
| 1 | March 7, 2018 | Illinois Campaign for Political Reform Union League Club of Chicago |
Carol Marin | [109] | P | P | P | P | P | P | P | P | P | P |
Endorsements
Kwame Raoul (D)
U.S. executive branch officials
US senators
- Dick Durbin, U.S. senator (D-IL)[111]
- Kamala Harris, U.S. senator (D-CA)[112]
US representatives
- John Lewis, U.S. representative (GA-5)[113]
Statewide officials
- Susana Mendoza, comptroller of Illinois[114]
County officials
Local officials
- Chris Kennedy, former chair of the University of Illinois Board of Trustees and former candidate for governor[116]
Organizations
- Equality Illinois Action PAC[117]
- Gun Violence Prevention PAC[118]
- Illinois Alliance for Retired Americans[119]
- Illinois National Organization for Women
- Independent Voters of Illinois-Independent Precinct Organization[120]
- Planned Parenthood Illinois Action PAC[115]
- The Sierra Club Illinois Chapter[111]
Newspapers
Erika Harold (R)
Polling
| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size |
Margin of error |
Kwame Raoul (D) |
Erika Harold (R) |
Bubba Harsy (L) |
Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Victory Research[131] | September 27 – October 2, 2018 | 1,208 | ± 2.8% | 44% | 33% | 5% | 18% |
| Southern Illinois University[132] | September 24–29, 2018 | 715 | ± 3.7% | 36% | 26% | – | 39% |
| Research America Inc.[133] | September 5–13, 2018 | 1,024 | ± 3.1% | 43% | 32% | – | 25%[a] |
| We Ask America[134] | June 9–11, 2018 | 600 | ± 4.0% | 44% | 35% | – | 21% |
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Kwame Raoul | 2,488,326 | 54.71% | −4.75% | |
| Republican | Erika Harold | 1,944,142 | 42.74% | +4.97% | |
| Libertarian | Bubba Harsy | 115,941 | 2.55% | −0.22% | |
| Total votes | 4,548,409 | 100.0% | N/A | ||
| Democratic hold | |||||
By congressional district
Raoul won 10 of 18 congressional districts, with the remaining 8 going to Harold, including three that elected Democrats.[136]
| District | Raoul | Harold | Representative |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 74% | 24% | Bobby Rush |
| 2nd | 77% | 21% | Robin Kelly |
| 3rd | 55% | 42% | Dan Lipinski |
| 4th | 80% | 18% | Chuy García |
| 5th | 68% | 30% | Mike Quigley |
| 6th | 47% | 50% | Sean Casten |
| 7th | 83% | 15% | Danny Davis |
| 8th | 56% | 41% | Raja Krishnamoorthi |
| 9th | 66% | 31% | Jan Schakowsky |
| 10th | 58% | 40% | Brad Schneider |
| 11th | 57% | 40% | Bill Foster |
| 12th | 43% | 53% | Mike Bost |
| 13th | 44% | 53% | Rodney Davis |
| 14th | 45% | 52% | Lauren Underwood |
| 15th | 26% | 71% | John Shimkus |
| 16th | 39% | 58% | Adam Kinzinger |
| 17th | 47% | 50% | Cheri Bustos |
| 18th | 32% | 65% | Darin LaHood |
See also
Notes
- "Don't know" with 21%; "None" with 4%