Illinois' 3rd Congressional District election (March 20, 2018 Democratic primary)

Elections in Illinois, 2018

• General election: Nov. 6
• Voter registration deadline: Oct. 9
• Early voting: Sept. 27 - Nov. 5
• Absentee voting deadline: Nov. 20

• Online registration: Yes
• Same-day registration: Yes
• Voter ID: No
• Poll times: 6:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.

---

On the ballot: U.S. House • Governor • Attorney General • Secretary of State • State executive offices • State Senate • State House • Supreme court • Appellate courts • Local judges • Local ballot measures • Municipal • Democratic primaries • Republican primaries

2020 → ← 2016
Illinois' 3rd Congressional District
Democratic primary Republican primary General election
Election details
Filing deadline: December 4, 2017
Primary: March 20, 2018 General: November 6, 2018 Pre-election incumbent: Daniel Lipinski (Democrat)
How to vote
Poll times: 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. Voting in Illinois
Race ratings
Cook Partisan Voter Index (2018): D+6 Cook Political Report: Solid Democratic 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, 2018
See also
Illinois' 3rd Congressional District 1st • 2nd • 3rd • 4th • 5th • 6th • 7th • 8th • 9th • 10th • 11th • 12th • 13th • 14th • 15th • 16th • 17th • 18th Illinois elections, 2018 U.S. Congress elections, 2018 U.S. Senate elections, 2018 U.S. House elections, 2018 Alabama U.S. House racesAlaska U.S. House racesArizona U.S. House racesArkansas U.S. House racesCalifornia U.S. House racesColorado U.S. House racesConnecticut U.S. House racesDelaware U.S. House racesFlorida U.S. House racesGeorgia U.S. House racesHawaii U.S. House racesIdaho U.S. House racesIllinois U.S. House racesIndiana U.S. House racesIowa U.S. House racesKansas U.S. House racesKentucky U.S. House racesLouisiana U.S. House racesMaine U.S. House racesMaryland U.S. House racesMassachusetts U.S. House racesMichigan U.S. House racesMinnesota U.S. House racesMississippi U.S. House racesMissouri U.S. House racesMontana U.S. House racesNebraska U.S. House racesNevada U.S. House racesNew Hampshire U.S. House racesNew Jersey U.S. House racesNew Mexico U.S. House racesNew York U.S. House racesNorth Carolina U.S. House racesNorth Dakota U.S. House racesOhio U.S. House racesOklahoma U.S. House racesOregon U.S. House racesPennsylvania U.S. House racesRhode Island U.S. House racesSouth Carolina U.S. House racesSouth Dakota U.S. House racesTennessee U.S. House racesTexas U.S. House racesUtah U.S. House racesVermont U.S. House racesVirginia U.S. House racesWashington U.S. House racesWest Virginia U.S. House racesWisconsin U.S. House racesWyoming U.S. House racesSubmit

Incumbent Daniel Lipinski won the Democratic primary for Illinois' 3rd Congressional District against political newcomer Marie Newman. Lipinski received 51.1 percent of the vote while Newman received 48.9 percent.

The Associated Press called the race for Lipinski just after midnight on March 21 and Newman conceded the race mid-morning, saying, "After reviewing the results, we know that we lost by a thin margin. It was a good fight and I am so proud of the grassroots movement we built with hundreds of volunteers and partners all over the district."

News outlets framed Newman's primary challenge of Lipinski as indicative of the conflict between moderate Democrats and the more progressive wing of the Democratic Party. According to Kate Sweeny of the Progressive Change Campaign Committee, the primary was "a battle for the soul of the Democratic party." The Hill listed this race among its seven primary races to watch in 2018.

Newman based her campaign on her opposition to Lipinski's positions on reproductive issues and healthcare, saying that he opposed federal funding for cervical cancer screenings and voted against the Affordable Care Act because of funding for contraception included in the bill. Lipinski countered that he voted 26 times to support funding for family planning programs from 2005 to 2017.

The race saw over $1 million in funds raised along with progressive endorsements pitted against those based in labor unions and longtime Illinois politicians. Newman received the backing of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) on February 2, 2018. Newman's SEIU endorsement split the union support in the race; prior to that, some of Lipinski's strongest supporters had been labor unions such as the Illinois AFL-CIO. Newman also received endorsements from NARAL Pro-Choice America and the Human Rights Campaign. Lipinski was backed by House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D), state party chairman Michael Madigan (D), and the Chicago Sun Times and the Chicago Tribune.

Heading into the 2018 election, this district had been held by Democrats since 1975. Lipinski first won the seat in 2004, succeeding his father, Bill, after he served in Congress for six terms. This seat was rated Safe Democratic by three outlets as of January 24, 2018.

This page focuses on the Democratic primary. For coverage of the general election, click here.

Illinois voter? Dates you need to know.
Primary election	March 20, 2018
Candidate filing deadline	December 4, 2017
Registration deadline	February 20 (in-person) & March 4 (online), 2018
Absentee application deadline	March 15 (by mail) & March 19 (in-person), 2018
General election	November 6, 2018
Voting information
Primary type	Open
Early voting deadline	March 20, 2018
Polling locations: Polls were open from 6:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Go to this page to find early voting locations and your assigned precinct for election day.

For more on related elections, please see:

• Illinois' 3rd Congressional District election (March 20, 2018 Republican primary)
• Illinois' 3rd Congressional District election, 2018
• United States House Democratic Party primaries, 2018
• United States House Republican Party primaries, 2018
• Democratic Party primaries in Illinois, 2018
• Republican Party primaries in Illinois, 2018

Candidates and election results

Incumbent Daniel Lipinski defeated Marie Newman in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Illinois District 3 on March 20, 2018.

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. House Illinois District 3

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Daniel Lipinski	51.1	48,675
		Marie Newman	48.9	46,530

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified.	Total votes: 95,205
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Election updates

Endorsements

• On March 15, 2018, Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle endorsed Marie Newman.
• On March 15, 2018, Daniel Lipinski was backed by the Arab Democratic Club.
• On March 8, 2018, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I) endorsed Newman.

Polls

See also: Ballotpedia's approach to covering polls

• On March 5, 2018, Public Policy Polling released a poll that had Lipinski and Newman nearly tied, with Lipinski receiving 43 percent and Newman 41 percent.

• On December 7, 2017, Normington Petts released the results of a poll they performed for Marie Newman, showing that she led Dan Lipinski 39 to 34 percent.

Campaign finance

• As of February 28, 2018, Lipinksi had raised $923,100 since April 2017 and had spent $817,014. He reported having about $1.3 million in cash on hand.
• As of February 28, 2018, Newman had raised $533,495 since April 2017 and had spent nearly $300,000. She reported having about $236,000 in cash on hand.

Candidates

See also: Statistics on U.S. Congress candidates, 2018

Dan Lipinski (D)

Lipinski was first elected as the U.S. representative for Illinois' 3rd Congressional District in 2004, succeeding his father, Bill, after six terms in Congress.. Before being elected to Congress, Lipinski had been a political science professor at the University of Notre Dame and University of Tennessee. From 2004 to 2016, Lipinski was challenged in nearly every election by a Republican. However, he always won election with at least 64 percent of the vote. Prior to 2018, the last time he faced competition in the Democratic primary was 2012, where he won with nearly 90 percent of the vote.

According to Business Insider, Lipinski is a conservative Democrat even though he supported Bernie Sanders over Hillary Clinton in the 2016 Democratic presidential primary. (Lipinski pledged to support the candidate who won his district in the primary, which was Sanders.) The issues where he sometimes broke away from other Democrats were abortion, healthcare, and funding for Planned Parenthood. He has been a member of the Blue Dog Coalition of Democrats who take moderate positions on fiscal and some social issues and has served as co-chairman of the congressional Pro-Life Caucus.

According to Business Insider and The Intercept, the Illinois political establishment backed Lipinksi in the primary, and he is close to Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan (D), who also serves as chairman of the state Democratic Party. Lipinski has been endorsed by the Illinois AFL-CIO in the primary. Markos Moulitsas of the Daily Kos, which supports Newman, said, "We’ve been gunning for Lipinski for something like 10 years now, and until organized labor abandons him, it’s always an uphill slog." Lipinski also reported $923,100 in contributions as of February 28, 2018.

Marie Newman (D)

Before running for Congress, Newman worked in advertising, consulting, and nonprofit advocacy. Her nonprofit organization, Team Up to Stop Bullying, sought to address bullying among school children. 2018 marked the first time she sought political office. According to her website, objections to the Donald Trump (R) presidential administration pushed her to run for Congress.

Newman's campaign website indicated that she supports universal health insurance, paid family leave, and assisting students with the repayment of college debt. Her website also noted that she supports legalized abortion, a difference between her and Lipinski. Newman received the backing of U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) as well as progressive organizations that support legal access to abortion and advocate on LGBTQ issues. She reported $533,494 in contributions as of February 28, 2018.

Policy stances

Abortion

• Dan Lipinski (D): Lipinski opposed legalized abortion. He has said, "I've always said that I'm pro-life, I vote pro-life. I believe that the science shows that the DNA for a new human being is there at conception, and that's why I believe that life begins at conception. And I want to do all I can to help new mothers." In January 2017, he was one of three House Democrats to vote for H.R. 7, which would have prohibited qualified health insurance plans from covering abortion. In October 2017, he co-sponsored and voted for legislation that would have banned most abortions from occurring 20 weeks after a pregnancy began.
• Marie Newman (D): Newman supported legalized abortion and made the difference between her and Lipinski a key part of her campaign. Her website says, "Consistent with the Roe v. Wade decision, I believe that reproductive decisions belong with women and her right to choose, not with government or politicians. Dan Lipinski is co-chairman of the House Pro-Life Caucus and has voted consistently to defund Planned Parenthood and eliminate a woman’s right to choose."

Contraceptive funding

• Dan Lipinski (D): In response to a Facebook post by Newman that said he "considers birth control and other forms of artificial contraception 'intrinsically evil,'" Lipinski released a statement saying that he had consistently supported contraceptive funding while in Congress, casting 26 votes in favor of such legislation. His statement indicated that the times he voted no on contraceptive funding were related to whether abortion was also covered by the funding. After the Supreme Court voted in 2012 to affirm the legality of the Affordable Care Act, Lipinski's office released the following statement: "Congressman Lipinski continues to oppose the health care law's requirement that all employers provide insurance coverage for birth control and abortion-inducing drugs."
• Marie Newman (D): As of February 13, 2018, Newman's position on contraceptive funding was defined by her criticisms of Lipinski's votes on related legislation, suggesting that she would have voted differently. On August 17, her campaign released the following statement. "Dan Lipinski's record on women's health is crystal clear: He has voted at least five times against funding birth control and medical services like mammograms and cervical cancer screenings through Planned Parenthood, voted to allow employer discrimination based on a woman's reproductive health decisions, and voted against the Affordable Care Act in part because it included funding for birth control."

Health insurance coverage

• Dan Lipinski (D): Lipinski supported modifications to the Affordable Care Act, a law which, among other things, penalized Americans who did not obtain health insurance and required health insurance companies to cover pre-existing conditions. His website says, "For many Americans, premiums and out-of-pocket costs are too high. The Affordable Care Act (ACA) needs to be fixed, not repealed. Since the ACA became law I’ve been working to make improvements so that families and small businesses have better access to more affordable care." Lipinski voted against the Affordable Care Act when it passed in 2010.

• Marie Newman (D): Newman supported universal health insurance coverage. Her website says, "Healthcare is a right, it is not a privilege. While I continue to support improvements to the Affordable Care Act, I believe Congress needs to step up to protect and expand health care for all Americans. There are many great elements of the ACA that need to be protected, including requiring insurance companies to cover those with pre-existing conditions, allowing people up to the age of 26 to stay on their parent’s health insurance and providing preventive services like mammograms and cancer screenings. However, the ACA is far from perfect and there are many elements that need to be addressed to bring down costs. Simultaneously to fixing issues with Obamacare, we need Healthcare-For-All solutions to be implemented in the near future. We should be looking at uniquely American versions of universal care that solves the nation’s current issues once and for all, such as Medicare For All."

Immigration

• Dan Lipinski (D): Lipinski said that he supported changes to immigration laws that would prevent the deportation of people living in the United States without legal permission who first came as children and later qualified for President Barack Obama's (D) Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. He also said he supported increased border security. His website said, "It is in our national interest for Congress to act on comprehensive immigration reform. I will continue to push for legislation that allows immigrants to contribute to and become a part of our nation, while also stopping illegal immigration, defending our borders, and protecting American workers." On June 29, 2017, Lipinski voted for H.R. 3400, also known as Kate's Law, which proposed increasing criminal penalties for individuals in the country without legal permission who are convicted of certain crimes, deported, and then re-enter the U.S. without legal permission.

• Marie Newman (D): In June 2017, Lipinski voted for H.R. 3400—a bill known as Kate's Law that proposed increasing prison sentences for persons who are deported and then convicted of certain crimes after re-entering the United States without permission. Following the vote, Newman sent a fundraising email that said, "A new mandatory minimum sentence will not stop illegal reentry any more than mandatory minimum drug sentences have stopped the opioid health crisis impacting our country now. We cannot incarcerate our way out of this country’s drug problems, or its immigration problems...Getting more people working here legally is good for business, the economy, and free markets. Indiscriminately imprisoning large portions of those who have illegally reentered the country for at least five years will negate the benefits of any other criminal justice reforms Congress may enact, do nothing to enhance border security or implement humane and sensible immigration reforms, and will increase the burden on taxpayers and law enforcement without increasing public safety."

LGBTQ issues

• Dan Lipinski (D): In 2006, Lipinski said, "I have always opposed government recognition of gay marriages and continue to do so." During his 2014 re-election campaign, he indicated that he supported a constitutional amendment defining marriage as being between one man and one woman. In 2015, he, along with 171 House Republicans, cosponsored the First Amendment Defense Act, which proposed prohibiting the federal government from taking adverse actions against a person who opposes same-sex marriage. In 2017, he said, "With the Supreme Court decision that legalized gay marriage in the country, I understand that's the law of the land now. I'm not working to change that."

• Marie Newman (D): Newman's website indicated that she held opposing views to Lipinski on LGBTQ issues. Her website said, "In Congress, I will fight tirelessly against discrimination based on race, religion, gender or sexuality — because respect, appreciation and equal rights are American values that I hold dear. We must rededicate ourselves to the basic, American principles of accepting refugees and promoting a welcome environment for all. Congressman Lipinski has voted consistently against gay marriage and has sponsored legislation that would enable businesses and nonprofits to discriminate against the LGBTQI community on 'religious” grounds.'"

Endorsements

Know of an endorsement? Email us at editor@ballotpedia.org.

Democratic candidate endorsements
Endorsement	Date	Lipinski	Newman
Federal officials
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I)	March 8, 2018		✔
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D)	March 1, 2018	✔
Illinois State Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D)	January 17, 2018		✔
Illinois State Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D)	January 17, 2018		✔
U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.)	November 17, 2017		✔
State officials
Illinois State Rep. Theresa Mah (D)	December 11, 2017		✔
Local officials
Toni Preckwinkle, Cook County Board president	March 15, 2018		✔
Ameya Pawar, Northwest side Chicago Alderman
National figures
Gloria Steinem	December 6, 2017		✔
Publications
Chicago Tribune	February 19, 2018	✔
Chicago Sun Times	February 14, 2018	✔
Organizations
Arab Democratic Club	March 15, 2018	✔
Emily's List	February 2, 2018		✔
Service Employees International Union	February 2, 2018		✔
American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Council 31	January 30, 2018	✔
Our Revolution Illinois	January 22, 2018		✔
Illinois AFL-CIO	January 10, 2018	✔
National Nurses United	January 4, 2018		✔
American Women's Party	December 3, 2017		✔
Feminist Majority	December 3, 2017		✔
Hispanic American Labor Council	November 27, 2017		✔
Off the Sidelines PAC	November 17, 2017		✔
NARAL Pro-Choice America	November 17, 2017		✔
MoveOn.org	November 17, 2017		✔
Human Rights Campaign	November 17, 2017		✔
Progressive Change Campaign Committee	November 17, 2017		✔
Democracy for America	November 17, 2017		✔
Blue America	October 15, 2017		✔
Daily Kos	June 29, 2017		✔

Polls

See also: Ballotpedia's approach to covering polls

Illinois' 3rd Congressional District election, Democratic primary
Poll	Marie Newman	Dan Lipinski	Margin of Error	Sample Size
Public Policy Polling February 27-28, 2018	41%	43%	+/-3.9	648
Normington Petts for Newman October 16-19	39%	34%	+/-4.9	400
Note: A "0%" finding means the candidate was not a part of the poll. The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to editor@ballotpedia.org

Noteworthy events

Obama supporters ask Lipinski to disavow mailer

The political action committee United for Progress sent out mailers supporting Dan Lipinski that had an image of former president Barack Obama. Next to his picture, the mailer read, "Known for Leading." On March 15, 2018, a group of Obama supporters and former aides asked Lipinski to disavow the mailer.

Former Obama campaign strategist David Axelrod said on Twitter, "Lipinski refused to endorse Obama for re-election in 2012 after voting against and repeatedly speaking out against Obamacare, the president’s signature achievement."

Campaign finance

The chart below details campaign finance in this election through February 28, 2018.

Satellite spending

Independent spending prior to the primary election

• Citizens for a Better Illinois spent $1,036,056 on ads opposing Lipinsk.
  

• The Susan B. Anthony List said they made a "six-figure investment" on digital ads supporting Lipinski ahead of the primary.

• United for Progress, Inc. spent $590,487 on direct mail to re-elect Lipinski and oppose Newman.
  

Campaign strategies

Campaign advertisements

Dan Lipinski

Support

"Again and Again" released March 6, 2018

Oppose

"Dan Lipinski - Trump Democrat" - Marie Newman campaign ad, released March 9, 2018

"IL 03: Let's Dump Dan Lipinski" - NARAL Pro-Choice America campaign ad, released November 30, 2017

Below is Newman's first TV ad against Dan Lipinski.

Marie Newman

Support

Marie Newman for Congress: Introduction, released June 13, 2017

Oppose

Don't Be Fooled, released by United for Progress, Inc. on March 6, 2018

Online presence

The following social media statistics were compiled on December 13, 2017. Newman's account was for her campaign, while Lipinski's was the account run by his congressional office.

	Facebook			Twitter
Candidate	Followers	Likes	Comments on Last Post	Followers	Following	Tweets
Lipinski	8,651	4,986	4	10,426	891	1,967
Newman	2,618	2,514	7	1,900	3,028	1,999

Tweets by Dan Lipinski Tweets by Marie Newman

Relationships

Photo of Lipinski draws criticism

A photo was posted by Politico on January 3, 2018, in which Dan Lipinski appeared in the background laughing with House Speaker Paul Ryan. The picture, taken in the White House, showed President Donald Trump and West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin (D) in the foreground posing for the camera. Lipinski's office offered a reason for the Democrat's presence in what looked in the photo to be a GOP celebration: He was attending a bipartisan White House screening of Darkest Hour, a new film about Winston Churchill.

Politico suggested this photo would not frame Lipinski in a good light given the criticism he has drawn for his conservative leaning as a member of the Democratic Party, including his anti-abortion views and his votes against the DREAM act and the Affordable Care Act. Lipinski's self-described progressive opponent, Marie Newman, has criticized Lipinski for his conservative record: “Now that people are understanding his record, (they see) he is against health care for all, he is against immigrants, and he’s against choice,” Newman said.

Timeline

The timeline below summarizes the most recent noteworthy events in this election. For the complete list, please visit: Timeline of Illinois' 3rd Congressional District election (March 20, 2018 Democratic primary).

Race ratings

See also: Race rating definitions and methods

Race ratings: Illinois' 3rd Congressional District election, 2018
Race tracker	Race ratings
	October 30, 2018	October 23, 2018	October 16, 2018	October 9, 2018
The Cook Political Report	Solid Democratic	Solid Democratic	Solid Democratic	Solid Democratic
Inside Elections with Nathan L. Gonzales	Solid Democratic	Solid Democratic	Solid Democratic	Solid Democratic
Larry J. Sabato's Crystal Ball	Safe Democratic	Safe Democratic	Safe Democratic	Safe Democratic
Note: Ballotpedia updates external race ratings every two weeks throughout the election season.

2016

See also: Illinois' 3rd Congressional District election, 2016

Heading into the election, Ballotpedia rated this race as safely Democratic. Incumbent Daniel Lipinski (D) was unopposed in the general election on November 8, 2016, as the only Republican to file, Arthur Jones, was removed from the ballot prior to the primary. Lipinski also faced no opposition in the Democratic primary on March 15, 2016.

U.S. House, Illinois District 3 General Election, 2016

Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	Daniel Lipinski Incumbent	100%	225,320
	N/A	Write-in	0%	91
Total Votes				225,411
Source: Illinois State Board of Elections

2014

See also: Illinois' 3rd Congressional District elections, 2014

The 3rd Congressional District of Illinois held an election for the U.S. House of Representatives on November 4, 2014. Daniel Lipinski (D) defeated Sharon Brannigan (R) in the general election.

U.S. House, Illinois District 3 General Election, 2014

Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	Dan Lipinski Incumbent	64.6%	116,764
	Republican	Sharon Brannigan	35.4%	64,091
Total Votes				180,855
Source: Illinois State Board of Elections Official Results

2012

See also: Illinois' 3rd Congressional District elections, 2012

The 3rd Congressional District of Illinois held an election for the U.S. House of Representatives on November 6, 2012. Incumbent Daniel Lipinski won re-election in the district.

U.S. House, Illinois District 3 General Election, 2012

Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	Daniel Lipinski Incumbent	68.5%	168,738
	Republican	Richard Grabowski	31.5%	77,653
Total Votes				246,391
Source: Illinois Board of Elections "2012 General Election Official Vote Totals"

2010

On November 2, 2010, Daniel Lipinski won re-election to the United States House. He defeated Michael A. Bendas (R) and Laurel Lambert Schmidt (G) in the general election.

U.S. House, Illinois District 3 General Election, 2010
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	Daniel Lipinski incumbent	69.7%	116,120
	Republican	Michael A. Bendas	24.3%	40,479
	Green	Laurel Lambert Schmidt	6%	10,028
Total Votes				166,627

District analysis

See also: The Cook Political Report's Partisan Voter Index

See also: FiveThirtyEight's elasticity scores

The 2017 Cook Partisan Voter Index for this district was D+6, meaning that in the previous two presidential elections, this district's results were 6 percentage points more Democratic than the national average. This made Illinois' 3rd Congressional District the 156th most Democratic nationally.

FiveThirtyEight's September 2018 elasticity score for states and congressional districts measured "how sensitive it is to changes in the national political environment." This district's elasticity score was 1.00. This means that for every 1 point the national political mood moved toward a party, the district was expected to move 1.00 points toward that party.

State overview

Partisan control

This section details the partisan control of federal and state positions in Illinois heading into the 2018 elections.

Congressional delegation

• Following the 2016 elections, Democrats held both U.S. Senate seats in Illinois.
• Democrats held 11 of 18 U.S. House seats in Illinois.

State executives

• As of May 2018, Democrats held four of 7 state executive positions, Republicans held two, and the remaining position was officially nonpartisan.
• The governor of Illinois was Republican Bruce Rauner. The state held elections for governor and lieutenant governor on November 6, 2018.

State legislature

• Democrats controlled both chambers of the Illinois General Assembly. They had a 67-51 majority in the state House and a 37-22 majority in the state Senate.

Trifecta status

• Illinois was under divided government, meaning that the two parties shared control of the state government. Bruce Rauner (R) served as governor, while Democrats controlled the state legislature.

2018 elections

See also: Illinois elections, 2018

Illinois held elections for the following positions in 2018:

• 18 U.S. House seats
• Governor and lieutenant governor
• Four lower state executive positions
• 39 of 59 state Senate seats
• 118 state House seats
• Municipal elections in Cook County

Demographics

Demographic data for Illinois
	Illinois	U.S.
Total population:	12,839,047	316,515,021
Land area (sq mi):	55,519	3,531,905
Race and ethnicity**
White:	72.3%	73.6%
Black/African American:	14.3%	12.6%
Asian:	5%	5.1%
Native American:	0.2%	0.8%
Pacific Islander:	0%	0.2%
Two or more:	2.2%	3%
Hispanic/Latino:	16.5%	17.1%
Education
High school graduation rate:	87.9%	86.7%
College graduation rate:	32.3%	29.8%
Income
Median household income:	$57,574	$53,889
Persons below poverty level:	16.8%	11.3%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2010-2015) Click here for more information on the 2020 census and here for more on its impact on the redistricting process in Illinois. **Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here.

As of July 2016, Illinois' three largest cities were Chicago (pop. est. 2.7 million), Aurora (pop. est. 200,000), and Joliet (pop. est. 150,000).

State election history

This section provides an overview of federal and state elections in Illinois from 2000 to 2016. All data comes from the Illinois State Board of Elections.

Historical elections

Presidential elections, 2000-2016

This chart shows the results of the presidential election in Illinois every year from 2000 to 2016.

Election results (President of the United States), Illinois 2000-2016
Year	First-place candidate	First-place candidate votes (%)	Second-place candidate	Second-place candidate votes (%)	Margin of victory (%)
2016	Hillary Clinton	55.8%	Donald Trump	38.8%	17.0%
2012	Barack Obama	57.6%	Mitt Romney	40.7%	16.9%
2008	Barack Obama	61.9%	John McCain	36.8%	25.1%
2004	John Kerry	54.8%	George W. Bush	44.5%	10.3%
2000	Al Gore	54.6%	George W. Bush	42.6%	12.0%

U.S. Senate elections, 2000-2016

This chart shows the results of U.S. Senate races in Illinois from 2000 to 2016. Every state has two Senate seats, and each seat goes up for election every six years. The terms of the seats are staggered so that roughly one-third of the seats are up every two years.

Election results (U.S. Senator), Illinois 2000-2016
Year	First-place candidate	First-place candidate votes (%)	Second-place candidate	Second-place candidate votes (%)	Margin of victory (%)
2016	Tammy Duckworth	54.9%	Mark Kirk	39.8%	15.1%
2014	Dick Durbin	53.5%	Jim Oberweis	42.7%	10.8%
2010	Mark Kirk	48.0%	Alexander Giannoulias	46.4%	1.6%
2008	Dick Durbin	67.8%	Steve Sauerberg	28.5%	39.3%
2004	Barack Obama	70.0%	Alan Keyes	27.0%	43.0%
2002	Dick Durbin	60.3%	Jim Durkin	38.0%	22.3%

Gubernatorial elections, 2000-2016

This chart shows the results of the four gubernatorial elections held between 2000 and 2016. Gubernatorial elections are held every four years in Illinois.

Election results (Governor), Illinois 2000-2016
Year	First-place candidate	First-place candidate votes (%)	Second-place candidate	Second-place candidate votes (%)	Margin of victory (%)
2014	Bruce Rauner	50.3%	Pat Quinn	46.3%	4.0%
2010	Pat Quinn	46.8%	Bill Brady	45.9%	0.9%
2006	Rod Blagojevich	49.8%	Judy Baar Topinka	39.3%	10.5%
2002	Rod Blagojevich	52.2%	Jim Ryan	45.1%	7.1%

Congressional delegation, 2000-2016

This chart shows the number of Democrats and Republicans who were elected to represent Illinois in the U.S. House from 2000 to 2016. Elections for U.S. House seats are held every two years.

Congressional delegation, Illinois 2000-2016
Year	Republicans	Republicans (%)	Democrats	Democrats (%)	Balance of power
2016	7	38.9%	11	61.1%	D+4
2014	8	44.4%	10	55.6%	D+2
2012	6	33.3%	12	66.7%	D+6
2010	11	57.9%	8	42.1%	R+3
2008	7	36.8%	12	63.2%	D+5
2006	9	47.4%	10	52.6%	D+1
2004	9	47.4%	10	52.6%	D+1
2002	10	52.6%	9	47.4%	R+1
2000	10	50.0%	10	50.0%	Even

Trifectas, 1992-2017

A state government trifecta occurs when one party controls both chambers of the state legislature and the governor's office.

Illinois Party Control: 1992-2025
Nineteen years of Democratic trifectas  •  Two years of Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.

Year	92	93	94	95	96	97	98	99	00	01	02	03	04	05	06	07	08	09	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20	21	22	23	24	25
Governor	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	R	R	R	R	D	D	D	D	D	D	D
Senate	D	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D
House	D	D	D	R	R	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D

See also

• United States House of Representatives elections in Illinois, 2018
• United States House elections in Illinois (March 20, 2018 Democratic primaries)
• Illinois' 3rd Congressional District election (March 20, 2018 Republican primary)
• United States House of Representatives elections, 2018
• Illinois' 3rd Congressional District
• United States House of Representatives

External links

• United States House of Representatives
• Illinois State Board of Elections

Daniel Lipinski

• Campaign website
• Office website
• Dan Lipinski on Facebook
• Dan Lipinski on Twitter
• Campaign finance from FEC

Marie Newman

• Campaign website
• Marie Newman on Facebook
• Marie Newman on Twitter
• Campaign finance from FEC

Footnotes

[show]

Illinois' current delegation to the United States Congress

Senators

Tammy Duckworth (D)

Dick Durbin (D)

Representatives

District 1

Jonathan Jackson (D)

District 2

Robin Kelly (D)

District 3

Delia Ramirez (D)

District 4

Jesus Garcia (D)

District 5

Mike Quigley (D)

District 6

Sean Casten (D)

District 7

Danny Davis (D)

District 8

Raja Krishnamoorthi (D)

District 9

Jan Schakowsky (D)

District 10

Brad Schneider (D)

District 11

Bill Foster (D)

District 12

Mike Bost (R)

District 13

Nikki Budzinski (D)

District 14

Lauren Underwood (D)

District 15

Mary Miller (R)

District 16

Darin LaHood (R)

District 17

Eric Sorensen (D)

Democratic Party (16)

Republican Party (3)

Ballotpedia

About

Overview • What people are saying • Support Ballotpedia • Contact • Contribute • Job opportunities

---

Executive: Leslie Graves, Founder and CEO • Gwen Beattie, Chief Operating Officer

Communications: Alison Graves, Director of Communications • Carley Allensworth • Abigail Campbell • Frank Festa • Sarah Groat • Nathaniel Harwood • Dillon Redmond • Erica Shumaker
External Relations: Geoff Pallay, Director of External Relations • Ken Carbullido, Vice President of Election Product and Technology Strategy • Ashley Fleming • Thomas Mardik • Hannah Nelson
Operations: Meghann Olshefski, Director of Operations • Amanda Herbert • Mandy Morris • Caroline Presnell • Kelly Rindfleisch
Tech: Matt Latourelle, Director of Technology Operations • Ryan Burch • Kirsten Corrao • Beth Dellea • Travis Eden • Tate Kamish • Margaret Kearney • Eric Lotto • Joseph Sanchez • Mary Susmitha

Contributors: Scott Rasmussen

---

Editorial Content

Josh Altic, Director of Content • Daniel Anderson, Associate Director of Elections & Data • Cory Eucalitto, Associate Director of Features • Ryan Byrne, Managing Editor of Ballot Measures • Mandy McConnell, Managing Editor of News • Doug Kronaizl, Managing Editor of Local Expansion • Abbey Smith, Managing Editor of Elections • Janie Valentine, Managing Editor of Law • Joel Williams. Managing Editor of Events • Andrew Bahl • Jaclyn Beran • Marielle Bricker • Joseph Brusgard • Emma Burlingame • Kelly Coyle • Jon Dunn • Thomas Ellis • Nicole Fisher • Joseph Greaney • Thomas Grobben • Jaime Healy-Plotkin • Brianna Hosea • Molly Kehoe • Tyler King • Glorie Martinez • Norm Leahy, Senior Editor • Nathan Maxwell • Jimmy McAllister • Brandon McCauley • Ellie Mikus • Ellen Morrissey • Mackenzie Murphy • Kaley Platek • Samantha Post • Adam Powell • Annelise Reinwald • Ethan Rice • Spencer Richardson • Victoria Rose • Briana Ryan • Myj Saintyl • Maddy Salucka • Emma Soukup • Alexis Thacker • Mina Vogel • Samuel Wonacott • Trenton Woodcox