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Illinois' 1st Congressional District election, 2026 (March 17 Republican primary)
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| Illinois' 1st Congressional District |
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| Democratic primary Republican primary General election |
| Election details |
| Filing deadline: November 3, 2025 |
| Primary: March 17, 2026 General: November 3, 2026 |
| How to vote |
| Poll times:
6 a.m. to 7 p.m. |
| Race ratings |
DDHQ and The Hill: Pending Inside Elections: Solid Democratic Sabato's Crystal Ball: Safe Democratic |
| Ballotpedia analysis |
| U.S. Senate battlegrounds U.S. House battlegrounds Federal and state primary competitiveness Ballotpedia's Election Analysis Hub, 2026 |
| See also |
U.S. Senate • 1st • 2nd • 3rd • 4th • 5th • 6th • 7th • 8th • 9th • 10th • 11th • 12th • 13th • 14th • 15th • 16th • 17th Illinois elections, 2026 U.S. Congress elections, 2026 U.S. Senate elections, 2026 U.S. House elections, 2026 |
A Republican Party primary takes place on March 17, 2026, in Illinois' 1st Congressional District to determine which Republican candidate will run in the district's general election on November 3, 2026.
| Candidate filing deadline | Primary election | General election |
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A primary election is an election in which registered voters select a candidate that they believe should be a political party's candidate for elected office to run in the general election. They are also used to choose convention delegates and party leaders. Primaries are state-level and local-level elections that take place prior to a general election. In Illinois, state law provides for a closed primary where a voter must be affiliated with a party to vote in that party's primary. However, voters state their affiliation at the polls and any voter may change their affiliation on the day of the primary. A voter's eligibility to vote a party's ballot may be challenged.[1]
For information about which offices are nominated via primary election, see this article.
This page focuses on Illinois' 1st Congressional District Republican primary. For more in-depth information on the district's Democratic primary and the general election, see the following pages:
- Illinois' 1st Congressional District election, 2026 (March 17 Democratic primary)
- Illinois' 1st Congressional District election, 2026
Candidates and election results
Note: The following list includes official candidates only. Ballotpedia defines official candidates as people who:
- Register with a federal or state campaign finance agency before the candidate filing deadline
- Appear on candidate lists released by government election agencies
Republican primary election
Republican primary for U.S. House Illinois District 1
Brian Kovaka, Marcus Lewis, and Christian Maxwell are running in the Republican primary for U.S. House Illinois District 1 on March 17, 2026.
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Candidate profiles
This section includes candidate profiles that may be created in one of two ways: either the candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey, or Ballotpedia staff may compile a profile based on campaign websites, advertisements, and public statements after identifying the candidate as noteworthy. For more on how we select candidates to include, click here.
Party: Republican Party
Incumbent: No
Political Office: None
Submitted Biography: "’m Christian Maxwell, a dedicated mother, entrepreneur, and lifelong advocate for common-sense leadership. As a conservative voice grounded in faith, family, and community, I am running for Congress to fight for the hardworking families of Illinois. My journey has taken me from building successful businesses to leading grassroots initiatives that uplift and empower our communities. I believe that Illinois deserves leaders who put people first — not politics. My passion for protecting our freedoms and restoring safety, opportunity, and accountability to our state drives me every day. I’m committed to standing up for parents, advocating for fiscal responsibility, and pushing back against the radical policies that have harmed our families. My mission is clear: to fight for the future of Illinois, where families can thrive and communities can feel safe again."
Voting information
- See also: Voting in Illinois
Ballotpedia will publish the dates and deadlines related to this election as they are made available.
Campaign finance
| Name | Party | Receipts* | Disbursements** | Cash on hand | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brian Kovaka | Republican Party | $0 | $0 | $0 | Data not available*** |
| Marcus Lewis | Republican Party | $0 | $0 | $0 | Data not available*** |
| Christian Maxwell | Republican Party | $0 | $0 | $0 | Data not available*** |
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Source: Federal Elections Commission, "Campaign finance data," 2026. This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
* According to the FEC, "Receipts are anything of value (money, goods, services or property) received by a political committee." |
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District analysis
This section will contain facts and figures related to this district's elections when those are available.
Ballot access
This section will contain information on ballot access related to this state's elections when it is available.
See also
- Illinois' 1st Congressional District election, 2026 (March 17 Democratic primary)
- Illinois' 1st Congressional District election, 2026
- United States House elections in Illinois, 2026 (March 17 Democratic primaries)
- United States House elections in Illinois, 2026 (March 17 Republican primaries)
- United States House Democratic Party primaries, 2026
- United States House Republican Party primaries, 2026
- United States House of Representatives elections, 2026
- U.S. House battlegrounds, 2026
External links
Footnotes
