2026 United States Senate election in Illinois
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The 2026 United States Senate election in Illinois will be held on November 3, 2026, to elect a member of the United States Senate to represent the State of Illinois. Democratic lieutenant governor Juliana Stratton and Republican former state party chair Don Tracy are seeking their first term in office. The winner will succeed Democratic incumbent Dick Durbin, who is not seeking re-election after five terms.
.jpg)
 | |||||||||||
November 3, 2026
| |||||||||||
| |||||||||||
| |||||||||||
Primary elections were held on March 17, 2026. Strattion, who was supported by Governor JB Pritzker, won the Democratic nomination with 40.1% of the vote over U.S. Representatives Raja Krishnamoorthi and Robin Kelly. Tracy won the Republican nomination with 39.9% of the vote over attorney Jeannie Evans. Republicans have not won a Senate election in Illinois since 2010, and have not won this seat since 1978.
Democratic primary
On April 23, 2025, incumbent Senator Dick Durbin, who has held the seat since 1997, announced he would not seek re-election.[1] The following day, Lieutenant Governor Juliana Stratton launched her campaign with the immediate endorsement of Governor JB Pritzker.[2]
Reports soon emerged that Pritzker and his allies were attempting to discourage other prominent Democrats from entering the race, particularly U.S. Representatives Raja Krishnamoorthi, Robin Kelly, and Lauren Underwood,[3] though Pritzker denied the claims.[4] Kelly announced her candidacy on May 6,[5] followed by Krishnamoorthi the next day,[6] while Underwood declined to run and instead sought re-election to the House.[7]
By July, Krishnamoorthi led the field in fundraising with roughly $21 million. Each of the top candidates secured significant endorsements: Stratton from suburban Democrats, state legislative leaders, and Senator Tammy Duckworth; Krishnamoorthi from local suburban officials; and Kelly from members of the Congressional Black Caucus and LGBT advocacy groups.[8]
Krishnamoorthi emphasized his experience on the House Intelligence Committee and focused on foreign policy and economic mobility,[9] while Stratton benefited from substantial financial backing from Pritzker and his family.[10] Stratton pledged not to accept corporate PAC donations, although she accepted individual contributions from billionaires, whereas Krishnamoorthi and Kelly accepted corporate PAC support.[11][12]
The campaign featured sharp exchanges over ties to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). By December 2025, Krishnamoorthi had raised $24 million, including donations linked to associates of President Donald Trump, Palantir, and The Heritage Foundation.[13] Meanwhile, the Democratic Lieutenant Governors Association, which supported Stratton, received funding from CoreCivic, another ICE contractor.[14]
The Associated Press and the Chicago Tribune called the race for Stratton on March 17, 2026, defeating U.S. Representatives Raja Krishnamoorthi and Robin Kelly.[15][16]
Candidates
Nominee
- Juliana Stratton, Lieutenant Governor of Illinois (2019–present)[17]
Eliminated in primary
- Steve Botsford, former legislative staffer and candidate for Chicago City Council in 2023[18]
- Sean Brown, attorney[19]
- Awisi Bustos, CEO of the Illinois Alliance of Boys & Girls Clubs and daughter-in-law of former U.S. Representative Cheri Bustos[20]
- Jonathan Dean, solar energy entrepreneur[21]
- Robin Kelly, U.S. Representative from Illinois's 2nd congressional district (2013–present), former chair of the Illinois Democratic Party (2021–2022), and nominee for Illinois Treasurer in 2010[5]
- Raja Krishnamoorthi, U.S. Representative from Illinois's 8th congressional district (2017–present) and candidate for Illinois Comptroller in 2010[6]
- Bryan Maxwell, engineer[22]
- Kevin Ryan, former teacher[23]
- Christopher Swann, program manager for Feeding America[24]
Disqualified
Withdrawn
Declined
- Dick Durbin, incumbent U.S. Senator (1997–present)[26]
- Mike Frerichs, Illinois State Treasurer (2015–present) (running for re-election)[27]
- Alexi Giannoulias, Illinois Secretary of State (2023–present), former Illinois State Treasurer (2007–2011), and nominee for U.S. Senate in 2010 (running for re-election)[28]
- JB Pritzker, Governor of Illinois (2019–present) (running for re-election, endorsed Stratton)[29]
- Kwame Raoul, Illinois Attorney General (2019–present)[30] (running for re-election)[31]
- Lauren Underwood, U.S. Representative from Illinois's 14th congressional district (2019–present) (running for re-election)[7]
- Gilbert Villegas, Chicago alder from the 36th ward (2015–present) and candidate for Illinois's 3rd congressional district in 2022[32]
Endorsements
Robin Kelly
- U.S. senators
- Cory Booker, New Jersey (2013–present)[33]
- Chris Murphy, Connecticut (2013–present)[34]
- U.S. representatives
- 53 current U.S. representatives[35][36]
Jonathan Jackson, IL-1 (2023–present)[a]- Marie Newman, former IL-3 (2021–2023)[38]
- Mike Quigley, IL-5 (2009–present)[39]
- Statewide officials
- Rod Blagojevich, former governor of Illinois (2003–2009)[40]
- Pat Quinn, former governor of Illinois (2009–2015)[40]
- State legislators
- Patrick Joyce, state senator from the 40th district (2019–present)[41]
- 4 current state representatives[b]
- 3 former state representatives[c]
- Local officials
- Leslie Hairston, former Chicago alder from the 5th ward (1999–2023)[45]
- Bennett Lawson, Chicago alder from the 44th ward (2023–present)[46]
- Lori Lightfoot, former mayor of Chicago (2019–2023)[46]
- David Orr, former Cook County Clerk (1990–2018)[47]
- Lamont Robinson, Chicago alder from the 4th ward (2023–present)[46]
- Byron Sigcho-Lopez, Chicago alder from the 25th ward (2019–present)[48]
- Jeanette Taylor, Chicago alder from the 20th ward (2019–present)[45]
- Desmon Yancy, Chicago alder from the 5th ward (2023–present)[45]
- Individuals
- Michael Pfleger, priest[42]
- Organizations
- Brady Campaign[49]
- Collective PAC (co-endorsement with Stratton)[50]
- Congressional Black Caucus PAC[51]
- Elect Democratic Women[52]
- Indivisible Kankakee[53]
- Joint Action Committee for Political Affairs (co-endorsement with Krishnamoorthi and Stratton)[54]
- Newspapers
Raja Krishnamoorthi
- Executive branch officials
- Bill Daley, former White House chief of staff (2011–2012) and U.S. secretary of commerce (1997–2000)[56]
- Zachary Fardon, former U.S. attorney for the northern district of Illinois (2013–2017)[57]
- Gina Raimondo, former U.S. secretary of commerce (2021–2025)[58]
- U.S. representatives
- Luis Gutiérrez, former IL-04 (1993–2019)[59]
- Phil Hare, former IL-17 (2007–2011)[60]
- Marilyn Strickland, WA-10 (2021–present)[61]
- 28 other U.S. representatives[62]
- 2 other former U.S. representatives[62]
- Statewide officials
- Sheila Simon, former lieutenant governor of Illinois (2011–2015)[63]
- State legislators
- 3 current state senators[d]
- 1 former state senator[e]
- 6 state representatives[f]
- Local officials
- Anthony Beale, Chicago alder from the 9th ward (1999–present)[67]
- George Cardenas, member of the Cook County Board of Review from the 1st district (2022–present)[59]
- Felix Cardona Jr., Chicago alder from the 31st ward (2019–present)[34]
- Stephanie Coleman, Chicago alder from the 16th ward (2019–present)[68]
- Dave Kaptain, mayor of Elgin (2011–present)[69]
- Joe Moore, former Chicago alder from the 49th ward (1991–2019)[57]
- Dick Simpson, former Chicago alder from the 44th ward (1971–1979)[66]
- Labor unions
- American Federation of Government Employees[70]
- International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 134[71]
- International Union of Elevator Constructors Local 2[72]
- National Association of Letter Carriers Branches 31, 88, 825, 2810, and 4016[73][74][75][76]
- Teamsters Joint Council 25[71]
- Teamsters Local 705[77]
- United Food and Commercial Workers Local 881[78]
- Organizations
- Asian American Action Fund[79]
- ASPIRE PAC[61]
- Collinsville Township Democrats[43]
- Joint Action Committee for Political Affairs (co-endorsement with Kelly and Stratton)[54]
- National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare[80]
- Thornton Township Democrats[64]
- Tri-Cities Democrats[43]
- Newspapers
Brian Maxwell
- Organizatons
- Track AIPAC (co-endorsement with Ryan)[82]
Kevin Ryan
- Labor unions
- Organizations
- Center for Freethought Equality PAC[84]
- Independent Voters of Illinois-Independent Precinct Organization[58]
- Indivisible Niles Maine Township[85]
- Rally Together Indivisible Elk Grove & Schaumburg[43]
- Track AIPAC (co-endorsement with Maxwell)[82]
Juliana Stratton
- Executive branch officials
- Carol Moseley Braun, former U.S. ambassador to New Zealand and Samoa (1999–2001) and U.S. senator from Illinois (1993–1999)[86]
- U.S. senators
- Angela Alsobrooks, Maryland (2025–present)[87]
- Tammy Baldwin, Wisconsin (2013–present)[88]
- Tammy Duckworth, Illinois (2017–present)[89]
Jesse Jackson, former District of Columbia shadow senator (1991–1997) (deceased)[g]- Elizabeth Warren, Massachusetts (2013–present)[43]
- U.S. representatives
- Danny Davis, IL-07 (1997–present)[92]
- Bobby Rush, former IL-01 (1993–2023)[93]
- Chuy García, IL-04 (2019–present)[94]
- Jan Schakowsky, IL-09 (1993–present)[95]
- Eric Sorensen, IL-17 (2023–present)[44]
- Statewide officials
- JB Pritzker, governor of Illinois (2019–present)[29]
- Jesse White, former secretary of state of Illinois (1999–2023)[93]
- State legislators
- Greg Harris, former majority leader of the Illinois House of Representatives (2019–2023) from the 13th district (2006–2023)[96]
- Kimberly Lightford, majority leader of the Illinois Senate (2019–present) from the 4th district (1998–present)[97]
- Chris Welch, Speaker of the Illinois House of Representatives (2021–present) from the 7th district (2013–present)[98]
- 9 other current state senators[h]
- 7 other current state representatives[i]
- 1 former state representative[j]
- Local officials
- Precious Brady-Davis, Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago commissioner (2023–present)[96]
- Scott Britton, member of the Cook County Board of Commissioners from the 14th district (2018–present)[68]
- Sam Cunningham, mayor of Waukegan (2017–2021, 2025–present)[105]
- Jason Ervin, Chicago alder from the 28th ward (2011–present)[106]
- Maria Hadden, Chicago alder from the 49th ward (2019–present)[96]
- Daniel La Spata, Chicago alder from the 1st ward (2019–present)[107]
- Gregory Mitchell, Chicago alder from the 7th ward (2015–present)[106]
- Michael Scott Jr., Cook County commissioner from the 2nd district (2024–present)[105]
- Debra Silverstein, Chicago alder from the 50th ward (2011–present)[47]
- Anna Valencia, Chicago City Clerk (2017–present)[108]
- Andre Vasquez, Chicago alder from the 40th ward (2019–present)[109]
- Individuals
- Patty Garcia, chief of staff to Chuy García and 2026 presumptive Democratic nominee in IL-04[94]
- Mary Morten, activist[96]
- Laura Ricketts, co-owner of the Chicago Cubs and Chicago Stars Football Club[96]
- Gloria Steinem, activist[53]
- Labor unions
- Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers Local Union 1[110]
- Cook County College Teachers Union Local 1600[111]
- Illinois Federation of Teachers[112]
- International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees Local 2[84]
- International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers[58]
- SEIU Heathcare[113]
- SEIU Illinois State Council[64]
- National Nurses United[114]
- Organizations
- Collective PAC (co-endorsement with Kelly)[50]
- College Democrats of America[115]
- College Democrats of Illinois[116]
- Democratic Lieutenant Governors Association[89]
- EMILY's List[117]
- End Citizens United[118]
- Joint Action Committee for Political Affairs (co-endorsement with Kelly and Krishnamoorthi)[54]
- Patriotic Millionaires[119]
- Vote Mama[120]
Declined to endorse
- U.S. senators
- Dick Durbin, Illinois (1997–present)[121]
- U.S. representatives
- Jonathan Jackson, IL-01 (2023–present)[37]
- Labor unions
- Illinois AFL-CIO[122]
- International Union of Operating Engineers Locals 150 and 399[123][124]
- Plumbers Local 130[125]
- Organizations
- Newspapers
Debates and forums
| No. | Date | Host | Moderators | Link | Participants | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P Participant A Absent N Non-invitee I Invitee W Withdrawn | |||||||||
| Kelly | Krishnamoorthi | Stratton | |||||||
| 1 | January 26, 2026 | WBEZ | Tina Sfondeles Sasha-Ann Simons Jennifer Steinhauer |
[130] | P | P | P | ||
| 1 | January 29, 2026 | ABC7 Chicago | Judy Hsu Craig Wall Enrique Rodriguez |
[131] | P | P | P | ||
| 1 | February 16, 2026 | FOX 32 Chicago | Paris Schutz | [132] | P | P | P | ||
| 1 | February 19, 2026 | WGN-TV | Tahman Bradley Micah Materre |
[133][134] | P | P | P | ||
WBEZ also hosted a forum with lower-polling candidates from both parties, with Democrats Steve Botsford, Sean Brown, Jonathan Dean, Bryan Maxwell, Kevin Ryan, and Christopher Swann attending.[135]
Fundraising
| Campaign finance reports as of March 31, 2026 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Raised | Spent | Cash on hand |
| Steve Botsford (D) | $372,718 | $372,618 | $100 |
| Jonathan Dean (D) | $124,404 | $100,311 | $24,092 |
| Robin Kelly (D) | $3,466,395 | $3,278,736 | $187,659 |
| Raja Krishnamoorthi (D) | $31,390,858[k] | $28,237,935 | $3,152,923 |
| Brian Maxwell (D) | $21,976 | $20,613 | $1,362 |
| Kevin Ryan (D) | $138,950 | $147,814 | $0 |
| Juliana Stratton (D) | $4,791,273 | $4,096,025 | $695,247 |
| Christopher Swann (D) | $4,768 | $4,175 | $593 |
| Source: Federal Election Commission[136] | |||
Polling
| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size[l] |
Margin of error |
Robin Kelly |
Raja Krishnamoorthi |
Juliana Stratton |
Other | Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Victory Research[137] | March 13–15, 2026 | 800 (LV) | ± 3.5% | 14% | 32% | 29% | – | 25% |
| FM3 Research (D)[138][A] | March 10–12, 2026 | 678 (LV) | ± 4.0% | 18% | 33% | 38% | 11%[m] | |
| Public Policy Polling (D)[139][B] | March 9–10, 2026 | 700 (LV) | ± 3.7% | 13% | 30% | 32% | – | 25% |
| Tulchin Research (D)[140][C] | March 4–8, 2026 | 600 (LV) | ± 4.0% | 12% | 39% | 28% | 4%[n] | 15% |
| Change Research (D)[141][C] | March 3–5, 2026 | 717 (LV) | ± 4.0% | 14% | 36% | 26% | 8% | 16% |
| Public Policy Polling (D)[142][B] | March 2–3, 2026 | 577 (LV) | ± 4.2% | 11% | 30% | 33% | – | 26%[o] |
| Public Policy Polling (D)[143][B] | February 23–24, 2026 | 546 (LV) | ± 4.2% | 13% | 29% | 27% | – | 31%[o] |
| – | 32% | 37% | – | 31%[o] | ||||
| Tulchin Research (D)[144] | February 14–19, 2026 | 600 (LV) | ± 4.0% | 10% | 42% | 26% | 6%[p] | 16% |
| Public Policy Polling (D)[145][B] | February 2–3, 2026 | 574 (LV) | ± 4.1% | 8% | 34% | 23% | – | 37% |
| GBAO (D)[146][C] | January 25–28, 2026 | 800 (LV) | ± 3.5% | 13% | 43% | 17% | – | 27% |
| Victory Research[147] | January 21–25, 2026 | 806 (LV) | ± 3.5% | 11% | 32% | 21% | 6%[q] | 30% |
| GBAO (D)[148][C] | January 8–12, 2026 | 900 (LV) | ± 3.3% | 15% | 41% | 16% | – | 28% |
| Emerson College/WGN-TV[149] | January 3–5, 2026 | 568 (LV) | ± 4.0% | 8% | 31% | 10% | 6%[r] | 46% |
| Public Policy Polling (D)[150][B] | December 8–9, 2025 | 667 (LV) | ± 3.8% | 9% | 32% | 20% | – | 39% |
| Change Research (D)[151][C] | December 4–8, 2025 | 1,007 (LV) | ± 3.2% | 7% | 42% | 14% | 4%[s] | 33% |
| Victory Research[152] | November 20–24, 2025 | – (LV) | – | 22% | 29% | 18% | 3%[t] | 28% |
| Public Policy Polling (D)[153][B] | September 25–26, 2025 | 576 (LV) | ± 4.1% | 8% | 33% | 18% | – | 41% |
| Change Research (D)[154][C] | September 17–19, 2025 | 1,143 (LV) | ± 3.0% | 8% | 41% | 17% | – | 31% |
| GBAO (D)[155][C] | August 12–17, 2025 | 800 (LV) | ± 3.5% | 12% | 38% | 18% | – | 29% |
| Z to A Research (D)[156][D] | August 8–10, 2025 | 615 (LV) | ± 4.0% | 13% | 51% | 28% | – | 8% |
| GBAO (D)[157][C] | June 5–10, 2025 | 1,200 (LV) | ± 2.8% | 14% | 32% | 19% | 4% | 31% |
Hypothetical polling
| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size[l] |
Margin of error |
Robin Kelly |
Raja Krishnamoorthi |
Juliana Stratton |
Lauren Underwood |
Other | Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Underwood declines to run | |||||||||
| Public Policy Polling (D)[158][B] | April 29–30, 2025 | 674 (LV) | ± 3.8% | 8% | 20% | 13% | 16% | – | 43% |
| GBAO (D)[159][C] | April 24–28, 2025 | 800 (LV) | ± 3.5% | 8% | 21% | 13% | 20% | 9%[u] | 30% |
| 314 Action (D)[160] | March 24–27, 2025 | 773 (LV) | ± 3.5% | 10% | 30% | 16% | 33% | – | 10% |
| – | 32% | 19% | 39% | – | 10% | ||||
Results
Stratton
- 20–30%
- 30–40%
- 40–50%
- 50–60%
Krishnamoorthi
- 30–40%
- 40–50%
- 50–60%
Kelly
- 30–40%
Tie
- 30–40%
Stratton won with 40.2% of the statewide vote; she secured 47 counties, including Cook and Will counties in the state's northeast. She recorded her best result in St. Clair County, winning 54.3% of the vote. Krishnamoorthi won 53 counties, carrying DuPage, Lake and Kane counties around Chicago. He performed best in Mercer County with 59.0% of the vote. The two leading candidates tied in Jasper County, with 32.9% of the vote each. Finally, Kelly placed third in the race; however, she did win Kankakee County with 38.2% of the vote.[161][162] Kelly represents a majority of Kankakee residents as congresswoman for Illinois's 2nd congressional district.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Juliana Stratton | 507,689 | 40.4 | |
| Democratic | Raja Krishnamoorthi | 411,150 | 32.7 | |
| Democratic | Robin Kelly | 229,788 | 18.3 | |
| Democratic | Kevin Ryan | 61,914 | 4.9 | |
| Democratic | Bryan Maxwell | 10,070 | 0.8 | |
| Democratic | Sean Brown | 8,122 | 0.6 | |
| Democratic | Awisi Bustos | 8,020 | 0.6 | |
| Democratic | Christopher Swann | 7,896 | 0.6 | |
| Democratic | Jonathan Dean | 6,762 | 0.5 | |
| Democratic | Steve Botsford | 5,411 | 0.4 | |
| Total votes | 1,256,822 | 100.0 | ||
Republican primary
Candidates
Nominee
- Don Tracy, former chair of the Illinois Republican Party (2021–2024), former member of the Illinois Gaming Board (2015–2019), candidate for lieutenant governor in 2010, and brother-in-law of state senator Jil Tracy[165]
Eliminated in primary
- R. Cary Capparelli, former member of the Illinois International Port District board (2000–2009) and perennial candidate[166]
- Casey Chlebek, national director for the Polish American Congress PAC and candidate for U.S. Senate in 2020 and 2022[167]
- Jeannie Evans, attorney[168]
- Pamela Denise Long, occupational therapist[169]
- Jimmy Lee Tillman, author[170]
Disqualified
Withdrawn
- John Goodman, former police officer[172]
Declined
- Mike Bost, U.S. Representative from Illinois's 12th congressional district (2015–present) (running for re-election, endorsed Tracy)[173][174]
- Rodney Davis, former U.S. representative from Illinois's 13th congressional district (2013–2023)[175]
- Darin LaHood, U.S. Representative from Illinois's 16th congressional district (2015–present) (running for re-election, endorsed Tracy)[176][174]
- Richard Porter, former member of the Republican National Committee and the Illinois State Police Merit Board[177]
Endorsements
Pamela Denise Long
Don Tracy
- U.S. senators
- U.S. representatives
- Mike Bost, IL-12 (2015–present)[174]
- Darin LaHood, IL-16 (2015–present)[174]
- Mary Miller, IL-15 (2021–present)[174]
- Statewide officials
- Leslie Munger, former Illinois Comptroller (2015–2016)[180]
- State legislators
- Chris Balkema, state senator from the 53rd district (2025–present)[181]
- Larry Bomke, former state senator from the 50th district (1995–2013)
- Terri Bryant, state senator from the 58th district (2021–present)[181]
- Dan Caulkins, former state representative from the 88th district (2019–2025)[180]
- Andrew Chesney, state senator from the 45th district (2023–present)[181]
- Michael Coffey, state representative from the 95th district (2023–present)[181]
- John Curran, minority leader of the Illinois Senate (2023–present) from the 41st district (2017–present)[181]
- Don DeWitte, state senator from the 33rd district (2018–present)[181]
- Amy Elik, state representative from the 111th district (2021–present)[181]
- Jeff Keicher, state representative from the 70th district (2018–present)[181]
- Nicole La Ha, state representative from the 82nd district (2023–present)[181]
- Steve McClure, state senator from the 54th district (2019–present)[181]
- Kyle Moore, state representative from the 99th district (2025–present)[181]
- Raymond Poe, former state representative from the 99th district (1995–2015)[180]
- Sue Rezin, state senator from the 38th district (2010–present)[181]
- Wayne Rosenthal, state representative from the 108th district (2011–2015, 2023–present)[181]
- Paul Schimpf, former state senator from the 58th district (2017–2021)[180]
- Kevin Schmidt, state representative from the 114th district (2023–present)[181]
- Patrick Sheehan, state representative from the 37th district (2024–present)[181]
- Dave Syverson, state senator from the 35th district (1993–present)[181]
- Jil Tracy, state senator from the 47th district (2017–present) (candidate's sister-in-law)[181]
- Local officials
- Karen Hasara, former mayor of Springfield (1995–2003)[180]
- Newspapers
Declined to endorse
- Newspapers
Debates and forums
| No. | Date | Host | Moderators | Link | Participants | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P Participant A Absent N Non-invitee I Invitee W Withdrawn | |||||||||
| Chlebek | Evans | Tracy | |||||||
| 1 | February 11, 2026 | ABC7 Chicago | Judy Hsu Craig Wall Enrique Rodriguez |
[183] | P | P | P | ||
WBEZ also hosted a forum with lower-polling candidates from both parties, with Republican Pamela Long attending.[135]
Fundraising
| Campaign finance reports as of March 31, 2026 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Raised | Spent | Cash on hand |
| R. Cary Capparelli (R) | $13,471 | $12,643 | $828 |
| Casey Chlebek (R) | $202,000 | $201,874 | $27 |
| Jeannie Evans (R) | $1,280,369[w] | $1,136,878 | $143,490 |
| Pamela Long (R) | $22,288[x] | $21,309 | $979 |
| Don Tracy (R) | $2,327,334[y] | $783,936 | $1,543,398 |
| Source: Federal Election Commission[136] | |||
Polling
| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size[l] |
Margin of error |
Jeannie Evans |
Jimmy Tillman |
Don Tracy |
Other | Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Emerson College/WGN-TV[149] | January 3–5, 2026 | 432 (LV) | ± 4.7% | 3% | 3% | 6% | – | 84% |
Results
Tracy
- 30–40%
- 40–50%
- 50–60%
- 60–70%
- 70–80%
- 80–90%
Evans
- 20–30%
- 30–40%
- 40–50%
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Don Tracy | 215,523 | 40.0 | |
| Republican | Jeannie Evans | 122,840 | 22.8 | |
| Republican | Casey Chlebek | 60,222 | 11.2 | |
| Republican | R. Cary Capparelli | 56,907 | 10.6 | |
| Republican | Pamela Denise Long | 53,810 | 10.0 | |
| Republican | Jimmy Lee Tillman | 30,042 | 5.6 | |
| Total votes | 539,344 | 100.0 | ||
General election
Predictions
| Source | Ranking | As of |
|---|---|---|
| The Cook Political Report[184] | Solid D | January 12, 2026 |
| Inside Elections[185] | Solid D | January 12, 2025 |
| Sabato's Crystal Ball[186] | Safe D | January 29, 2026 |
| Race To The WH[187] | Safe D | February 2, 2026 |
Fundraising
| Campaign finance reports as of April 21, 2026 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Raised | Spent | Cash on hand |
| Juliana Stratton (D) | $4,791,273 | $4,096,026 | $695,247 |
| Don Tracy (R) | $2,327,334 | $783,936 | $1,543,398 |
| Source: Federal Election Commission[188] | |||
Notes
- Will Davis, state representative from the 30th district (2003–present)[38]
- Debbie Meyers-Martin, state representative from the 38th district (2019–present)[38]
- Abdelnasser Rashid, state representative from the 21st district (2023–present)[42]
- Bob Rita, state representative from the 28th district (2003–present)[38]
- Linda Chapa LaVia, former state representative from the 83rd district (2003–2019)[43]
- Al Riley, former state representative from the 38th district (2007–2019)[38]
- Litesa Wallace, former state representative from the 67th district (2014–2019)[44]
- Napoleon Harris, state senator from the 15th district (2013–present) and supervisor of Thornton Township (2025–present)[64]
- Dave Koehler, state senator from the 46th district (2006–present)[58]
- Ram Villivalam, state senator from the 8th district (2019–present)[65]
- Michael Bond, former state senator from the 31st district (2007–2011)[57]
- Sharon Chung, state representative from the 91st district (2023–present)[65]
- Hoan Huynh, state representative from the 13th district (2023–present)[65]
- Marty Moylan, state representative from the 55th district (2013–present)[66]
- Michelle Mussman, state representative from the 56th district (2011–present)[66]
- Kevin Olickal, state representative from the 16th district (2023–present)[65]
- Janet Yang Rohr, state representative from the 41st district (2021–present)[65]
- Christopher Belt, state senator from the 37th district (2019–present)[99]
- Cristina Castro, state senator from the 5th district (2023–present)[97]
- Lakesia Collins, state senator from the 22nd district (2017–present)[97]
- Mary Edly-Allen, state senator from the 31st district (2023–present)[97]
- Laura Ellman, state senator from the 21st district (2019–present)[97]
- Mattie Hunter, state senator from the 3rd district (2003–present)[97]
- Adriane Johnson, state senator from the 30th district (2020–present)[97]
- Julie Morrison, state senator from the 29th district (2013–present)[97]
- Doris Turner, state senator from the 48th district (2021–present)[97]
- Murri Briel, state representative from the 39th district (2015–present)[100]
- Kelly Cassidy, state representative from the 14th district (2011–present)[96]
- Will Guzzardi, state representative from the 39th district (2015–present)[100]
- Norma Hernandez, state representative from the 77th district (2023–present)[101]
- Tracy Katz Muhl, state representative from the 57th district (2024–present)[102]
- Natalie Manley, state representative from the 98th district (2013–present)[103]
- Dave Vella, state representative from the 68th district (2021–present)[103]
- LaToya Greenwood, former state representative from the 114th district (2017–2019)[104]
- Includes $19,285,171 transferred from Krishnamoorthi's U.S. House campaign account.
- Key:
A – all adults
RV – registered voters
LV – likely voters
V – unclear - "Undecided/Refused" with 11%
- Kevin Ryan with 3%; Christopher Swan with 1%; Steve Botsford, Sean Brown, Awisi Bustos, Jonathan Dean, and Brian Maxwell with 0%
- The press release that is the source of this poll only lists percentages for the candidates, so the positions of the remaining respondents are unknown.
- "Someone else" with 6%
- Awisi Bustos with 2%; Jonathan Dean, Brian Maxwell, Kevin Ryan, and Christopher Swann with 1%; Sean Brown and Steve Botsford with 0%
- Brian Maxwell, Steve Botsford, and Jonathan Dean with a combined 3%; Kevin Ryan with 2%; "Other" with 1%
- "Other candidates" with 4%
- Awisi Bustos with 2%; Sean Brown, Kevin Ryan, and Jonathan Dean with a combined 1%
- "Other" with 5%; Mike Frerichs with 4%
- Removed due to sustained objection
- Includes $300,000 that was self-funded by Evans.
- Includes $2,638 that was self-funded by Long.
- Includes $2,000,000 that was self-funded by Tracy.
Partisan clients
- Poll sponsored by American Future
- Poll sponsored by the Democratic Lieutenant Governors Association, which supports Stratton
- Poll sponsored by Krishnamoorthi's campaign
- Poll sponsored by The Impact Fund PAC, which supports Krishnamoorthi