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Illinois' 8th Congressional District election, 2026 (March 17 Democratic primary)

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2024
Illinois' 8th Congressional District
Ballotpedia Election Coverage Badge.png
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.
Voting in Illinois

Race ratings
Cook Political Report: Solid Democratic
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
Illinois' 8th Congressional District
U.S. Senate1st2nd3rd4th5th6th7th8th9th10th11th12th13th14th15th16th17th
Illinois elections, 2026
U.S. Congress elections, 2026
U.S. Senate elections, 2026
U.S. House elections, 2026

A Democratic Party primary takes place on March 17, 2026, in Illinois' 8th Congressional District to determine which Democratic candidate will run in the district's general election on November 3, 2026.

Candidate filing deadline Primary election General election
November 3, 2025
March 17, 2026
November 3, 2026



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 is one of 51 open races for the U.S. House of Representatives this year in which an incumbent is not running for re-election. Across the country, 21 Democrats and 30 Republicans are not running for re-election. In 2024, 45 incumbents — 24 Democrats and 21 Republicans — did not seek re-election.

This page focuses on Illinois' 8th Congressional District Democratic primary. For more in-depth information on the district's Republican primary and the general election, see the following pages:

Candidates and election results


Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. House Illinois District 8

The following candidates are running in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Illinois District 8 on March 17, 2026.


Candidate Connection = 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.

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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

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.

Image of Yasmeen Bankole

WebsiteFacebookXYouTube

Party: Democratic Party

Incumbent: No

Submitted Biography "I am a lifelong public servant, with deep roots in the Northwest Suburbs of Chicago. The child of a librarian, I worked at the Schaumburg Township District Library for over a decade. Serving Schaumburg area residents was my first foray into public service. Most recently, I served as Regional Director to U.S. Senator Dick Durbin for nearly 6 years where I oversaw the Senator’s affairs and congressional outreach throughout Northern IL. Previously, I also served as a congressional aide in the Office of Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi. I am currently an elected Trustee in the Village of Hanover Park. In 2021, upon becoming elected, I became the only Nigerian-American elected official in the state of Illinois and, at 27-years-old, the youngest elected trustee in the history of my village. Among my key accomplishments are the creation of the Water Bill Fee discount program, which has created utility bill savings for seniors and working families with limited incomes, and working with community stakeholders and organized labor to pass a Responsible Bidder Ordinance which ensures that taxpayer funds used for publicly funded projects only go to qualified contractors, protect union workers' rights and benefits, and keep them safe on the job."


Key Messages

To read this candidate's full survey responses, click here.


Lowering costs and making life more affordable: Illinoisans are working harder than ever to pay the bills, keep a roof over their head, and support their kids, and it is getting harder. I’ll fight to: Strengthen our essential national social programs, including Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid. Put more money in the pockets of middle class families by fighting to repeal the billionaire tax giveaways and lower taxes for working Illinoisans. Secure good-paying union jobs and protections and invest in apprenticeships and job training programs that put more money back in the pockets of working families. Advocate for the reversal of Trump tariffs, which make working families pay more, hurt small businesses, and cause economic upheaval.


Fighting for workers and organized labor: As an elected Trustee in the Village of Hanover Park, I supported pro-worker policies that ensure taxpayer funds used for publicly funded projects only go to qualified contractors, protect union workers' rights and benefits, and keep them safe on the job. In my role as a Regional Director for Senator Durbin, I worked hard to support legislation that protected union workers’ benefits and promoted safer working conditions. In Congress, I will co-sponsor the PRO Act, which would strengthen workers' rights to organize and bargain for better wages, benefits, and working conditions. We must also raise the minimum wage to $17 an hour and eliminate payroll loopholes like the tipped minimum wage.


Protecting Immigrants: As the daughter of immigrants, the fight for a fair and just immigration system is personal to me. It allowed so many people, like my parents, the chance at a life filled with possibility. After I won my election to the Hanover Park board in 2021, I was proud to introduce and pass a Welcoming City ordinance that reaffirms our commitment to the Illinois Trust Act. The current administration has weaponized our immigration system, circumventing due process and the rule of law to deport innocent people regardless of their legal status. In Congress, I will fight for a pathway to citizenship for all immigrants, work to streamline the immigration process to reduce unnecessary bureaucracy, and protect birthright citizenship.

Image of Neil Khot

WebsiteFacebookX

Party: Democratic Party

Incumbent: No

Submitted Biography "I was born in a small town in India and was raised by a single mother. In my 20s, I moved to America with 300 dollars and a dream of being able to start my own business. Now, I am proud to have my own business with over 200 employees in the 8th district and beyond. I am running for Congress, not as a career politician, but as an outsider who will bring fresh ideas to Washington."


Key Messages

To read this candidate's full survey responses, click here.


The American Dream is out of reach for too many Americans, and I am running to change that. If elected, I will work to ensure that all Americans can reach their full potential with the skills necessary for well-paying jobs.


It is our duty to protect our senior citizens, like my own mother, from losing their healthcare or their social security. My biggest priority in Congress will be to protect Social Security and Medicare because they are not just welfare programs; they are America’s promise to our seniors.


I will always stand up to MAGA extremists. We must defend the rule of law, protect healthcare, support working families, and protect immigrants.

Image of Kevin Morrison

WebsiteFacebookXYouTube

Party: Democratic Party

Incumbent: No

Submitted Biography "I was born in Chicago and raised in Elk Grove Village, Illinois. I graduated from Conant High School in 2009. I attended DePaul University as an undergraduate, where I studied political science, environmental science, and LGBTQ studies, and graduated in 2013. In college I became an environmental activist, and went on to work on a number of local campaigns. I worked on Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign, and then began working for Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi. In 2018, I became the youngest ever, and first openly LGBTQ Commissioner, as well as the first Democrat to represent the 15th District when I was elected to the Cook County Board of Commissioners. In doing so, I defeated a twelve year incumbent who served as the Chairman of the Illinois Republican Party. I am currently serving my second term after my re-election in 2022. On the board, I spearheaded the creation of the Cook County Department of Mental and Behavioral Health, as well as the Cook County Small Business Source. I was a lead sponsor in the repeal of Cook County’s Wheel Tax, the creation of an annually renewing $100 million Disaster Relief Fund, the Residential Tenant and Landlord Ordinance, and making reproductive health a protected class for 5.2 million people. In 2024, I graduated with a Juris Doctorate from UIC Law School, and passed the BAR exam in February 2025. In May 2025, I was sworn in as an attorney, and one week later announced a bid for Congress."


Key Messages

To read this candidate's full survey responses, click here.


Fight for Affordability: Too many families feel as if the American Dream is slipping away, yet Washington keeps delivering for the well-connected while working people get stuck with higher costs and fewer choices. Working people should be able to afford housing, put healthy food on the table, access high quality public education, send their kids to college, and access high-quality, affordable healthcare. Now more than ever, Congress must hold giant corporations accountable for jacking up prices and making our cost-of-living crisis worse. As Cook County Commissioner, I’ve proven how a pragmatic progressive can deliver for working families and communities, and I am ready to bring that same approach to Congress.


Stand Up to Trump: Donald Trump and his allies are tearing the Constitution to shreds. Right now, we need a fighter who will stand up for our democracy. I've already fought Trumpism as a Cook County commissioner, leading the fight to unmask and bar ICE from county buildings and defending due process. In Congress, I'll fight to rein in ICE, advance real immigration reform, and protect congressionally approved funding for critical programs. I'll stand up for Congress’s power of the purse and will champion legislation to strengthen voting rights and eliminate voter suppression. And I will continue to be a fierce defender of vulnerable populations, and will stand against any attempt to curtail the rights of marginalized communities.


Protect Our Rights: The people’s government should not serve the interests of wealthy insiders; it should serve the people. In Congress, I will fight to overturn Citizens United and get dark money out of politics by supporting publicly funded elections, fair limits on contributions, and real disclosure so voters know who’s trying to buy our government. I will also champion legislative efforts to crack down on profiteering and self-dealing through a ban on congressional stock trading, closing loopholes through family accounts, shell holdings and conflicted investments, strengthening ethics enforcement, and ending the revolving door to lobbying.

Image of Dan Tully

WebsiteFacebookXYouTube

Party: Democratic Party

Incumbent: No

Submitted Biography "A veteran, attorney, and former civil servant, Dan Tully is running for Congress because our constitution, our freedom, and our democracy are threatened by a president who doesn’t think the rules apply to him and by a Republican Congress that refuses to stand up to him. Dan’s parents were Cook County Hospital nurses who instilled in him the values of keeping your word and serving others. Their lessons, love, and support helped propel Dan from the western suburbs where he was raised to graduate from both Northwestern and the University of Chicago, earn his law degree from Stanford, and join the military. Dan served eight and a half years as a Judge Advocate in the U.S. Army Reserve, including over three and a half years on active duty. While deployed to Iraq, Dan advised commanders on operations to defeat ISIS. At Fort Bragg, Dan served in the headquarters of the Green Berets to facilitate intelligence investigations and supported the 82nd Airborne Division. Dan assisted in the Army’s efforts to accelerate planning for large-scale combat operations at Army Futures Command, and he also served in the military’s U.S. Indo-Pacific Command. Later, while working as a civil servant at the U.S. Department of Commerce, Dan continued the work of countering China’s influence in foreign markets. Dan took a stand by leaving the by leaving the administration that no longer enabled him to honor the oath he swore to support and defend our nation."


Key Messages

To read this candidate's full survey responses, click here.


Uphold Our Constitution & Restore the Rule of Law: Our Democracy is under attack by Donald Trump and his cronies in Washington. I will work to end the politicization of the military, the abuses of power being carried out by the president, his cabinet officials and by extension - the Immigration and Custom Enforcement Agency (ICE). I will use my platform and position to fiercely promote fair and free elections across the country to ensure that the rule of law is upheld and protect fair representation in Congress.


Make the American Dream More Accessible: The Trump administration has rolled back progress on nearly every front – from our economy to trade agreements – leaving working Americans to shoulder the burden. Harmful tariffs have strained our international relationships and driven up the cost of living. Meanwhile, federal benefits and vital programs were suspended during government shutdowns, leaving countless families in limbo. While the wealthiest continue to thrive, everyday Americans are being priced out of the basic promise of the American Dream. I will fight to expand trade education and union membership, put money back into our schools, and support an equitable tax rate for the wealthiest in our country to pay their fair share


Promote Our Health & Safety: Healthcare is a human right. We need to have a robust universal healthcare system so no one has to worry about whether they can see a doctor or not. In Congress I will vote to enshrine women’s reproductive rights, and expanded community health systems so we can address long-standing systemic inequities.

Voting information

See also: Voting in Illinois

Election information in Illinois: March 17, 2026, election.

What is the voter registration deadline?

  • In-person: March 17, 2026
  • By mail: Postmarked by Feb. 17, 2026
  • Online: March 1, 2026

Is absentee/mail-in voting available to all voters?

Yes

What is the absentee/mail-in ballot request deadline?

  • In-person: March 16, 2026
  • By mail: Received by March 12, 2026
  • Online: March 12, 2026

What is the absentee/mail-in ballot return deadline?

  • In-person: March 17, 2026
  • By mail: Postmarked by March 17, 2026

Is early voting available to all voters?

Yes

What are the early voting start and end dates?

Feb. 5, 2026 to March 16, 2026

Are all voters required to present ID at the polls? If so, is a photo or non-photo ID required?

N/A

When are polls open on Election Day?

6:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m. (CT)

Campaign finance

Name Party Receipts* Disbursements** Cash on hand Date
Junaid Ahmed Democratic Party $0 $0 $0 Data not available***
Yasmeen Bankole Democratic Party $447,367 $326,552 $120,815 As of February 25, 2026
Melissa Bean Democratic Party $1,642,588 $1,233,975 $408,613 As of February 25, 2026
Sanjyot Dunung Democratic Party $362,734 $343,368 $19,366 As of February 25, 2026
Neil Khot Democratic Party $1,983,578 $1,814,812 $168,766 As of February 25, 2026
Kevin Morrison Democratic Party $626,020 $565,978 $60,041 As of February 25, 2026
Dan Tully Democratic Party $705,085 $453,371 $251,714 As of February 25, 2026
Ryan Vetticad Democratic Party $121,561 $31,404 $90,157 As of December 31, 2025

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."
** According to the FEC, a disbursement "is a purchase, payment, distribution, loan, advance, deposit or gift of money or anything of value to influence a federal election," plus other kinds of payments not made to influence a federal election.
*** Candidate either did not report any receipts or disbursements to the FEC, or Ballotpedia did not find an FEC candidate ID.

District analysis

Click the tabs below to view information about voter composition, past elections, and demographics in both the district and the state.

  • District map - A map of the district in place for the election.
  • Competitiveness - Information about the competitiveness of 2026 U.S. House elections in the state.
  • Presidential elections - Information about presidential elections in the district and the state.
  • State party control - The partisan makeup of the state's congressional delegation and state government.


Below is the district map in place for this election. Click the map below to enlarge it.

2023_01_03_il_congressional_district_08.jpg
See also: Primary election competitiveness in state and federal government, 2026

This section contains data on U.S. House primary election competitiveness in Illinois.

Post-filing deadline analysis

The following analysis covers all U.S. House districts up for election in Illinois in 2026. Information below was calculated on Nov. 3, 2025, and may differ from information shown in the table above due to candidate replacements and withdrawals after that time.

One hundred five candidates — 69 Democrats and 36 Republicans — ran for Illinois’ 17 U.S. House districts. That’s 6.2 candidates per district. There were 2.7 candidates per district in 2024, 5.6 in 2022, 4.1 in 2020, 4.4 in 2018, 2.7 in 2016, and 2.8 in 2014.

This was the highest total number of candidates who ran for the U.S. House since 2014.

Five districts were open in 2026. There were no districts open in 2024, four in 2022, one in 2020, one in 2018, one in 2016, and none in 2014. Reps. Jesus Garcia (D-4th), Danny K. Davis (D-7th), and Jan Schakowsky (D-9th) retired from public office. Reps. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-8th) and Robin Kelly (D-2nd) ran for the U.S. Senate.

Twenty primaries — nine Democratic and 11 Republican — were contested in 2026. In total, there were 11 contested primaries in 2024, 19 in 2022, 21 in 2020, 20 in 2018, 14 in 2016, and nine in 2014.

Twenty candidates — 16 Democrats and four Republicans — ran for the open 9th district, the most candidates that ran for a district in 2026.

Five incumbents — four Democrats and one Republican — faced primary challengers in 2026. There were five incumbents in a contested primary in 2024, seven in 2022, 10 in 2020, seven in 2018, seven in 2016, and three in 2014.

Candidates filed to run in the Republican and Democratic primaries in all 17 districts, meaning no districts were guaranteed to either party.

Partisan Voter Index

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

Heading into the 2026 elections, based on results from the 2024 and 2020 presidential elections, the Cook Partisan Voter Index for this district is D+5. This meant that in those two presidential elections, this district's results were 5 percentage points more Democratic than the national average. This made Illinois' 8th the 163rd most Democratic district nationally.[2]

2020 presidential election results

The table below shows what the vote in the 2024 presidential election was in this district. The presidential election data was compiled by The Downballot.

2024 presidential results in Illinois' 8th Congressional District
Kamala Harris Democratic PartyDonald Trump Republican Party
53.0%46.0%

Presidential voting history

See also: Presidential election in Illinois, 2024

Illinois presidential election results (1900-2024)

  • 17 Democratic wins
  • 15 Republican wins
Year 1900 1904 1908 1912 1916 1920 1924 1928 1932 1936 1940 1944 1948 1952 1956 1960 1964 1968 1972 1976 1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016 2020 2024
Winning Party R R R D R R R R D D D D D R R D D R R R R R R D D D D D D D D D
See also: Party control of Illinois state government

Congressional delegation

The table below displays the partisan composition of Illinois' congressional delegation as of October 2025.

Congressional Partisan Breakdown from Illinois
Party U.S. Senate U.S. House Total
Democratic 2 14 16
Republican 0 3 3
Independent 0 0 0
Vacancies 0 0 0
Total 2 17 19

State executive

The table below displays the officeholders in Illinois' top four state executive offices as of October 2025.

State executive officials in Illinois, October 2025
OfficeOfficeholder
GovernorDemocratic Party J.B. Pritzker
Lieutenant GovernorDemocratic Party Juliana Stratton
Secretary of StateDemocratic Party Alexi Giannoulias
Attorney GeneralDemocratic Party Kwame Raoul

State legislature

Illinois State Senate

Party As of October 2025
     Democratic Party 40
     Republican Party 19
     Other 0
     Vacancies 0
Total 59

Illinois House of Representatives

Party As of October 2025
     Democratic Party 78
     Republican Party 40
     Other 0
     Vacancies 0
Total 118

Trifecta control

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

Ballot access

The table below details filing requirements for U.S. House candidates in Illinois in the 2026 election cycle. For additional information on candidate ballot access requirements in Illinois, click here.

Filing requirements for U.S. House candidates, 2026
State Office Party Signatures required Filing fee Filing deadline Source
Illinois U.S. House Established parties Not less than .5% (.005) of the qualified primary electors of their party in the congressional district N/A 11/3/2025 Source
Illinois U.S. House Independents Not less than 5% nor more than 8% (or 50 more than the minimum, whichever is greater) of the total number of persons who voted at the last regular general election within the congressional district. N/A 5/26/2026 Source

See also

External links

Footnotes


Senators
Representatives
District 1
District 2
District 3
District 4
District 5
District 6
District 7
District 8
District 9
District 10
District 11
District 12
Mike Bost (R)
District 13
District 14
District 15
District 16
District 17
Democratic Party (16)
Republican Party (3)