United States Senate election in Illinois, 2026 (March 17 Democratic primary)
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| U.S. Senate, Illinois |
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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 |
Ten candidates are running in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate in Illinois on March 17, 2026. Three candidates have led in fundraising, media attention, and polling: Robin Kelly (D), Raja Krishnamoorthi (D), and Juliana Stratton (D). Incumbent Dick Durbin (D), who was first elected in 1996, announced his retirement on April 23, 2025.[1]
The Chicago Crusader's staff writes that the race "[features] three distinct candidacies that offer starkly different visions for the state’s political future and the national Democratic agenda."[2]
Kelly was elected to Illinois' 2nd Congressional District in 2013. She is campaigning on her record, saying, "I'm the only one federally that has a district like mine, urban, suburban, and rural, where I personally have delivered for each of those districts. I've been able to pass meaningful pieces of legislation around health care, saving lives."[3] On her website, Kelly details a plan called "People over Profits," which includes proposals to pass a minimum tax on individuals earning $100 million a year, raise the minimum wage to $17, and pass Medicare for All.[4]
Krishnamoorthi was elected to Illinois' 8th Congressional District in 2016. He said he would support free school lunches, increasing SNAP and Medicare spending, and a tax credit for new homeowners in the first five years they own a home.[5] Krishnamoorthi has also focused on his experience in business and government, saying, "You need to convince people that you can... stand up for their economics interests and address their economic pain points... as a former small business person and as someone who's worked on these issues in Congress, I feel uniquely positioned to deal with them."[6]
Stratton was elected lieutenant governor in 2018. She is campaigning on her record, saying, "To me, Illinois is the blueprint. What Governor Pritzker and I have done here in Illinois is the blueprint that I want to take to Washington, D.C., and I want to fight for Illinoisans just like I've done for seven years."[7] Stratton said she supports Medicare for All, expanding the Earned Income Tax Credit, and passing a federal version of Illinois’ Birth Equity Initiative to reduce maternal mortality.[8]
Each candidate has also focused on countering President Donald Trump's (R) policies. Kelly has campaigned on her record, saying, "Illinois needs someone who has worked in Congress, reached across the aisle in very challenging times, but still gotten the work done. And I’m not afraid to stand up to any bully."[9] Krishnamoorthi says he has opposed Trump's policies on ICE and tariffs, and said he would win voters by "[holding] the Trump administration accountable... whether it's on tariffs or whether it's with regard to ICE or any other agency of the government."[6] Stratton has campaigned on her record in state government, saying, "What I'm just seeing is that the old playbook in Washington, D.C., isn't working. People aren't... looking for people to just talk. They want to see real action, and that's exactly what we've done in our administration."[10]
The Wall Street Journal's John McCormick wrote, "The election is a test of [Governor J.B. Pritzker's (D)] clout."[11] Pritzker endorsed Stratton shortly after her campaign announcement.[12] Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Illi.) and Illinois House Speaker Chris Welch (D) also endorsed Stratton.[13] Several labor unions, including the Teamsters and the American Federation of Government Employees, and former Lt. Gov. Sheila Simon (D), endorsed Krishnamoorthi.[14][15][16] The Congressional Black Caucus Political Action Committee, BradyPAC, and Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) endorsed Kelly.[17]
As of the most recent financial reports filed with the Federal Election Commission, Kelly raised $2.7 million and spent $2.2 million, Krishnamoorthi raised $24.9 million and spent $19.3 million, and Stratton raised $2.1 million and spent $1.2 million.
Steve Botsford Jr. (D), Sean Brown (D), Awisi Bustos (D), Jonathan Dean (D), Bryan Maxwell (D), Kevin Ryan (D), and Christopher Swann (D) are also running.
This page focuses on Illinois' United States Senate Democratic primary. For more in-depth information on the state's Republican primary and the general election, see the following pages:
- United States Senate election in Illinois, 2026 (March 17 Republican primary)
- United States Senate election in Illinois, 2026
Recent updates
This section includes a timeline of events leading up to the election, such as debates, polls, and noteworthy endorsements. Know of something we missed? Let us know.
- January 8, 2026
Emerson College released a poll sponsored by WGN-TV, which showed Krishnamoorthi with 31%, Stratton with 10%, Kelly with 8%, others with 6%, and 46% undecided.
Candidates and election results
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for U.S. Senate Illinois
The following candidates are running in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate Illinois on March 17, 2026.
Candidate | ||
 | Steve Botsford Jr.  | |
 | Sean Brown | |
 | Awisi Bustos | |
 | Jonathan Dean | |
 | Robin Kelly | |
 | Raja Krishnamoorthi | |
 | Bryan Maxwell | |
 | Kevin Ryan | |
 | Juliana Stratton | |
 | Christopher Swann | |
| ||||
| = 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. | ||||
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Stanley Leavell (D)
- Robert Palmer (D)
- Jump Shepherd (D)
- Anthony Williams (D)
- Adair Rodriquez (D)
- Dick Durbin (D)
- Adam Delgado (D)
Voting information
- See also: Voting in Illinois
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: Democratic Party
Incumbent: No
Submitted Biography: "I grew up in the northwest suburbs of Illinois, graduated from Notre Dame, and walked on to the football team. After school I worked on Capitol Hill for Congressman Tony Cárdenas, where I helped draft legislation on economic mobility and workforce issues. I later earned a master’s in applied economics from Georgetown and an MBA from Northwestern. My career has taken me through structured finance, political campaigns, and now the small real estate business my family built. In 2023 I ran for Chicago City Council, knocking on nearly every door in the ward and centering my campaign on two things that matter to every neighborhood (building more housing people can afford and making communities safer). Illinois has always been home, and everything I’ve worked on comes back to the same idea: strengthening the places families live, work, and build their futures."
Party: Democratic Party
Incumbent: No
Political Office:
- United States House of Representatives (Assumed office: 2013)
- Illinois House of Representatives (2002-2006)
Biography: Kelly earned a bachelor's degree in psychology and her master's degree in counseling from Bradley University in 1977 and 1982, respectively. She earned a doctorate in political science from Northern Illinois University in 2004. Kelly's work experience included working at a crisis nursery, director of community affairs for the village of Matteson, Illinois, as chief of staff for Illinois State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias (D), and as chief administrative officer for Cook County, Illinois.
Show sources
Sources: The Edwardsville Intelligencer, "Seven questions with Senate candidate Robin Kelly," October 16, 2025; Robin Kelly 2026 campaign website, "People Over Profits," accessed January 15, 2026; Chicago Tribune, "Illinois Democratic Senate primary race has started slow. But contrasts emerge in bid to replace Dick Durbin," December 26, 2025; VoteSmart, "Robin Kelly's biography," accessed January 15, 2026
Party: Democratic Party
Incumbent: No
Political Office:
- United States House of Representatives (Assumed office: 2013)
Biography: Krishnamoorthi earned a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering and a bachelor's degree in public policy from Princeton University in 1995 and earned a J.D. from Harvard University in 2000. He previously worked as an attorney, a small-business owner, a law clerk, and as deputy Illinois state treasurer.
Show sources
Sources: The Edwardsville Intelligencer, "Seven questions with Senate candidate Raja Krishnamoorthi," December 3, 2025; Raja Krishnamoorthi 2026 campaign website, "Raja's Plan To Restore the American Dream & Make Life More Affordable," accessed January 15, 2026; VoteSmart, "Raja Krishnamoorthi's biography," accessed January 15, 2026
Party: Democratic Party
Incumbent: No
Submitted Biography: "I grew up in Orland Park, IL and attended Marist High School in Chicago. My early years were marked by difficult times with my brother, Pat, who battled intense addiction and mental illness. He made life at home incredibly difficult. Thankfully, I had some really great teachers who helped me through those difficult years. They inspired me to lead a life of service, and I became a teacher myself. Pat went in and out of rehab and then found himself in the Cook County Jail for several months. Shortly after his release, he overdosed and died at the age of 22. I carried guilt for years, believing I had failed him as a brother. Becoming a teacher showed me I could be there for others in ways I couldn’t be there for Pat. While studying to become a teacher at the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign, people my age were being sent to Afghanistan. And I felt compelled to do my part. So, I joined the Marine Corps Reserve as an infantry officer and balanced deployments while teaching on the South and West Sides of Chicago. In 2020, I used my GI Bill to attend the University of Oxford. I earned a graduate degree in diplomacy that took me to assignments across Europe, the Pentagon, and the U.S. Treasury. While in Washington, I obtained a graduate degree from Georgetown University. Outraged by the ultra-wealthy individuals and corporations who control our government through the legal corruption that is unlimited political spending, I returned home, and I am now running to end it."
Party: Democratic Party
Incumbent: No
Political Office:
- Lieutenant Governor of Illinois (Assumed office: 2019)
- Illinois House of Representatives (2017-2019)
Biography: Stratton earned a bachelor's degree in broadcast journalism from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in 1987 and her J.D. from DePaul University in 1992. Her work experience included working as a video producer for the government of Chicago, as an attorney, in various positions for different departments in the city of Chicago, and as an adjunct professor.
Show sources
Sources: The Edwardsville Intelligencer, "Seven questions with Senate candidate Juliana Stratton," December 3, 2025; Capitol News Illinois, "Juliana’s Blueprint," accessed January 11, 2026; NPR, "Stratton’s top priority in Senate campaign: Fighting back against Trump," May 2, 2025; BlackPast, "Juliana (Wiggins) Stratton (1965- )," September 28, 2020
Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey responses
Ballotpedia asks all federal, state, and local candidates to complete a survey and share what motivates them on political and personal levels. The section below shows responses from candidates in this race who completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
Survey responses from candidates in this race
Click on a candidate's name to visit their Ballotpedia page.
Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.
| Collapse all
The American Dream used to mean each generation could climb higher through hard work. Today, that dream feels out of reach for too many families priced out of homeownership, weighed down by debt, or stuck in systems that don’t deliver. I want to restore that promise by expanding opportunity, making it easier to start a family, buy a home, and build a good life. A country as wealthy and innovative as ours should make upward mobility possible again.
Democrats lost ground in 2024, especially with voters we used to win. The party’s brand has grown narrower, and career politicians aren’t bringing new people into the coalition. If we want to govern and pass big reforms, we need candidates who can appeal to independents, moderates, and voters who drifted away. I want to open the tent, broaden our appeal, and show that Democrats can be the party of growth, safety, opportunity, and practical results, not insider careerism.
Awisi Bustos (D)
Foreign policy anchored in justice at home and abroad because the rule of law is paramount
Universal healthcare is a human right beyond partisan politics
Bryan Maxwell (D)
Medicare for All
Tax the Rich
Kevin Ryan (D)
Anyone who works full-time ought to earn enough to live, save, and enjoy life. It is a moral failure of our government to allow 38 million working Americans to continue to live in poverty while corporate profits continue to soar.
Healthcare, housing, and education are basic human rights. And the wealthiest country on the planet should prioritize providing its people these basic necessities.
The United States must end its support for the Israeli government’s assault on Palestinians and stand firmly for a free Palestine. U.S. military aid should never fund apartheid, occupation, or the bombing of civilians. I support an immediate ceasefire, humanitarian relief, and full Palestinian self-determination. Justice and safety cannot exist without equality and freedom for all people. Our foreign policy must reflect courage, compassion, and accountability.
Guaranteed Income
A guaranteed income means direct cash assistance every month so working families can meet basic needs like rent, food, and childcare. It cuts red tape, restores dignity, and replaces outdated programs that punish people for earning more. Our current safety net is fractured and traps families in poverty through the benefits cliff. By providing steady, unconditional income, we can eliminate that cliff, reduce poverty, and give every family real economic security.
Medicare for All
Awisi Bustos (D)
Bryan Maxwell (D)
Kevin Ryan (D)
Anti-Poverty Education Prison Reform
Abolishing the death penalty
Kevin Ryan (D)
Matthew Desmond's "Evicted" and "Poverty, by America" are great books for the general reader that illustrate the destructive nature of American poverty, the forces that perpetuate it, and why I commit myself to the cause of ending poverty in America.
Kurt Vonnegut's autobiography, "A Man Without a Country" offers a very raw perspective of the United States, its history, and its government that equally offers messages of despair and hope that stir me to action. Vonnegut was once asked what he thought the purpose of life is, and he responded: "We are here to help each other get through this thing, whatever it is." I agree that this is both the purpose of life and of our government. I am running to restore the purpose of our government.
John Stuart Mill's "On Liberty" and Adam Smith's "Wealth of Nations" serve as foundational texts for the base of my political philosophy. The Father of Capitalism would be appalled by the state of American corporate capitalism today. And I think we, as a society, need to collectively re-read (or, for some of us, read for the first time) "The Wealth of Nations" and reprioritize Smith's principals of making society collectively thrive. Too often, I have found, the people who like to cite Smith and his "invisible hand" often choose not read the portions of his books dedicated to labor. Equally important, Mill provides an antidote to our highly divisive political discourse today by grounding the reader on the fundamental aspect of political discourse: ascertaining, as closely as possible, the best ways to improve society.
Kevin Ryan (D)
Kevin Ryan (D)
Kevin Ryan (D)
Kevin Ryan (D)
Kevin Ryan (D)
Kevin Ryan (D)
Kevin Ryan (D)
Kevin Ryan (D)
Kevin Ryan (D)
Kevin Ryan (D)
You can ask candidates in this race to fill out the survey by clicking their names below:
Campaign advertisements
This section includes a selection of up to three campaign advertisements per candidate released in this race, as well as links to candidates' YouTube, Vimeo, and/or Facebook video pages. If you are aware of other links that should be included, please email us.
Robin Kelly
Ballotpedia did not come across any campaign ads for Robin Kelly while conducting research on this election. If you are aware of any ads that should be included, please email us.
Raja Krishnamoorthi
View more ads here:
Juliana Stratton
Ballotpedia did not come across any campaign ads for Juliana Stratton while conducting research on this election. If you are aware of any ads that should be included, please email us.
Debates and forums
If you are aware of any debates, candidate forums, or other similar events where multiple candidates in this race participated, please email us.
Polls
- See also: Ballotpedia's approach to covering polls
Polls are conducted with a variety of methodologies and have margins of error or credibility intervals.[18] The Pew Research Center wrote, "A margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points at the 95% confidence level means that if we fielded the same survey 100 times, we would expect the result to be within 3 percentage points of the true population value 95 of those times."[19] For tips on reading polls from FiveThirtyEight, click here. For tips from Pew, click here.
Below we provide results for polls from a wide variety of sources, including media outlets, social media, campaigns, and aggregation websites, when available. We only report polls for which we can find a margin of error or credibility interval. Know of something we're missing? Click here to let us know.
| Poll | Dates | Botsford | Dean | Kelly | Krishnamoorthi | Maxwell | Ryan | Stratton | Other | Undecided | Sample size | Margin of error | Sponsor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
– | 1 | 1 | 8 | 31 | 1 | 2 | 10 | 1 | 46 | 568 | ± 4.0% | ||
– | -- | -- | 7 | 42 | -- | -- | 14 | 4 | 29 | 1,007 LV | ± 3.2% | N/A | |
| Note: LV is likely voters, RV is registered voters, and EV is eligible voters. | |||||||||||||
Noteworthy endorsements
This section lists noteworthy endorsements issued in this election, including those made by high-profile individuals and organizations, cross-party endorsements, and endorsements made by newspaper editorial boards. It also includes a bulleted list of links to official lists of endorsements for any candidates who published that information on their campaign websites. Please note that this list is not exhaustive. If you are aware of endorsements that should be included, please click here.
Campaign finance
Campaign spending
| Name | Party | Receipts* | Disbursements** | Cash on hand | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steve Botsford Jr. | Democratic Party | $101,792 | $101,792 | $0 | As of September 30, 2025 |
| Sean Brown | Democratic Party | $0 | $0 | $0 | Data not available*** |
| Awisi Bustos | Democratic Party | $0 | $0 | $0 | Data not available*** |
| Jonathan Dean | Democratic Party | $60,724 | $67,554 | $-6,830 | As of December 31, 2025 |
| Robin Kelly | Democratic Party | $2,736,148 | $754,261 | $1,981,887 | As of September 30, 2025 |
| Raja Krishnamoorthi | Democratic Party | $24,878,521 | $6,790,269 | $18,088,251 | As of September 30, 2025 |
| Bryan Maxwell | Democratic Party | $5,101 | $2,119 | $2,982 | As of September 30, 2025 |
| Kevin Ryan | Democratic Party | $44,917 | $26,998 | $17,919 | As of September 30, 2025 |
| Juliana Stratton | Democratic Party | $2,084,875 | $1,165,100 | $919,775 | As of September 30, 2025 |
| Christopher Swann | Democratic Party | $4,768 | $4,175 | $593 | As of September 30, 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." |
|||||
Satellite spending
- See also: Satellite spending
Satellite spending describes political spending not controlled by candidates or their campaigns; that is, any political expenditures made by groups or individuals that are not directly affiliated with a candidate. This includes spending by political party committees, super PACs, trade associations, and 501(c)(4) nonprofit groups.[20][21][22]
If available, this section includes links to online resources tracking satellite spending in this election. To notify us of a resource to add, email us.
Election analysis
Click the tabs below to view information about demographics, past elections, and partisan control of the state.
- Presidential elections - Information about presidential elections in the state.
- Statewide elections - Information about recent U.S. Senate and gubernatorial elections in the state.
- State partisanship - The partisan makeup of the state's congressional delegation and state government.
- Demographics - Information about the state's demographics and how they compare to the country as a whole.
Cook PVI by congressional district
| District | Incumbent | PVI |
|---|---|---|
| Illinois' 1st | Jonathan Jackson | D+18 |
| Illinois' 2nd | Robin Kelly | D+18 |
| Illinois' 3rd | Delia Ramirez | D+17 |
| Illinois' 4th | Chuy Garcia | D+17 |
| Illinois' 5th | Mike Quigley | D+19 |
| Illinois' 6th | Sean Casten | D+3 |
| Illinois' 7th | Danny Davis | D+34 |
| Illinois' 8th | Raja Krishnamoorthi | D+5 |
| Illinois' 9th | Jan Schakowsky | D+19 |
| Illinois' 10th | Brad Schneider | D+12 |
| Illinois' 11th | Bill Foster | D+6 |
| Illinois' 12th | Mike Bost | R+22 |
| Illinois' 13th | Nikki Budzinski | D+5 |
| Illinois' 14th | Lauren Underwood | D+3 |
| Illinois' 15th | Mary Miller | R+20 |
| Illinois' 16th | Darin LaHood | R+11 |
| Illinois' 17th | Eric Sorensen | D+3 |
2024 presidential results by 2026 congressional district lines
| District | Kamala Harris | Donald Trump  |
|---|---|---|
| Illinois' 1st | 65.0% | 33.0% |
| Illinois' 2nd | 66.0% | 33.0% |
| Illinois' 3rd | 65.0% | 34.0% |
| Illinois' 4th | 63.0% | 35.0% |
| Illinois' 5th | 68.0% | 31.0% |
| Illinois' 6th | 52.0% | 47.0% |
| Illinois' 7th | 82.0% | 17.0% |
| Illinois' 8th | 53.0% | 46.0% |
| Illinois' 9th | 68.0% | 31.0% |
| Illinois' 10th | 60.0% | 38.0% |
| Illinois' 11th | 55.0% | 44.0% |
| Illinois' 12th | 28.0% | 71.0% |
| Illinois' 13th | 54.0% | 44.0% |
| Illinois' 14th | 52.0% | 47.0% |
| Illinois' 15th | 29.0% | 69.0% |
| Illinois' 16th | 38.0% | 61.0% |
| Illinois' 17th | 52.0% | 47.0% |
| Source: The Downballot | ||
2016-2024
How a state's counties vote in a presidential election and the size of those counties can provide additional insights into election outcomes at other levels of government including statewide and congressional races. Below, four categories are used to describe each county's voting pattern over the 2016, 2020, and 2024 presidential elections: Solid, Trending, Battleground, and New. Click [show] on the table below for examples:
| County-level voting pattern categories | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | |||||||
| Status | 2016 | 2020 | 2024 | ||||
| Solid Democratic | D | D | D | ||||
| Trending Democratic | R | D | D | ||||
| Battleground Democratic | D | R | D | ||||
| New Democratic | R | R | D | ||||
| Republican | |||||||
| Status | 2016 | 2020 | 2024 | ||||
| Solid Republican | R | R | R | ||||
| Trending Republican | D | R | R | ||||
| Battleground Republican | R | D | R | ||||
| New Republican | D | D | R | ||||
Following the 2024 presidential election, 72.8% of Illinoisans lived in one of the state's 12 Solid Democratic counties, which voted for the Democratic presidential candidate in every election from 2016 to 2024, and 24.7% lived in one of 88 Solid Republican counties. Overall, Illinois was Solid Democratic, having voted for Hillary Clinton (D) in 2016, Joe Biden (D) in 2020, and Kamala Harris (D) in 2024. Use the table below to view the total number of each type of county in Illinois following the 2024 election as well as the overall percentage of the state population located in each county type.
| Illinois county-level statistics, 2024 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solid Democratic | 12 | 72.8% | |||||
| Solid Republican | 88 | 24.7% | |||||
| Trending Democratic | 2 | 2.5% | |||||
| Total voted Democratic | 14 | 75.3% | |||||
| Total voted Republican | 88 | 24.7% | |||||
Historical voting trends
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 |
This section details the results of the five most recent U.S. Senate and gubernatorial elections held in the state.
U.S. Senate elections
The table below details the vote in the five most recent U.S. Senate races in Illinois.
Gubernatorial elections
- See also: Governor of Illinois
The table below details the vote in the five most recent gubernatorial elections in Illinois.
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.
| Office | Officeholder |
|---|---|
| Governor | J.B. Pritzker |
| Lieutenant Governor | Juliana Stratton |
| Secretary of State | Alexi Giannoulias |
| Attorney General | 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 |
The table below details demographic data in Illinois and compares it to the broader United States as of 2023.
| Demographic Data for Illinois | ||
|---|---|---|
| Illinois | United States | |
| Population | 12,812,508 | 331,449,281 |
| Land area (sq mi) | 55,512 | 3,531,905 |
| Race and ethnicity** | ||
| White | 63.3% | 63.4% |
| Black/African American | 13.8% | 12.4% |
| Asian | 5.8% | 5.8% |
| Native American | 0.5% | 0.9% |
| Pacific Islander | 0.4% | 0.4% |
| Other (single race) | 7.3% | 6.6% |
| Multiple | 9.2% | 10.7% |
| Hispanic/Latino | 18.5% | 19% |
| Education | ||
| High school graduation rate | 90.3% | 89.4% |
| College graduation rate | 37.2% | 35% |
| Income | ||
| Median household income | $81,702 | $78,538 |
| Persons below poverty level | 11.7% | 12.4% |
| Source: population provided by U.S. Census Bureau, "Decennial Census" (2020). Other figures provided by U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2018-2023). | ||
| **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. | ||
Election history
The section below details election results for this state's U.S. Senate elections dating back to 2016.
2022
General election
General election for U.S. Senate Illinois
Incumbent Tammy Duckworth defeated Kathy Salvi, Bill Redpath, Lowell Seida, and Connor VlaKancic in the general election for U.S. Senate Illinois on November 8, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Tammy Duckworth (D) | 56.8 | 2,329,136 |
 | Kathy Salvi (R) | 41.5 | 1,701,055 | |
 | Bill Redpath (L) | 1.7 | 68,671 | |
 | Lowell Seida (Independent) (Write-in) | 0.0 | 23 | |
 | Connor VlaKancic (Independent) (Write-in) | 0.0 | 11 | |
| Total votes: 4,098,896 | |||
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- W. Thomas La Fontaine Olson (Independent)
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for U.S. Senate Illinois
Incumbent Tammy Duckworth advanced from the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate Illinois on June 28, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Tammy Duckworth | 100.0 | 856,720 |
| Total votes: 856,720 | |||
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Republican primary election
Republican primary for U.S. Senate Illinois
The following candidates ran in the Republican primary for U.S. Senate Illinois on June 28, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Kathy Salvi | 30.2 | 216,007 |
 | Peggy Hubbard | 24.8 | 177,180 | |
 | Matthew Dubiel | 12.7 | 90,538 | |
 | Casey Chlebek | 10.7 | 76,213 | |
 | Bobby Piton | 9.2 | 65,461 | |
 | Anthony Williams | 7.4 | 52,890 | |
 | Jimmy Lee Tillman II | 5.1 | 36,342 | |
| Total votes: 714,631 | |||
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Maryann Mahlen (R)
- Eric Wallace (R)
- Allison Salinas (R)
- Rob Cruz (R)
- Lanette Hudson (R)
- Timothy Arview (R)
2020
General election
General election for U.S. Senate Illinois
The following candidates ran in the general election for U.S. Senate Illinois on November 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Dick Durbin (D) | 54.9 | 3,278,930 |
 | Mark Curran (R) | 38.9 | 2,319,870 | |
 | Willie Wilson (Willie Wilson Party) | 4.0 | 237,699 | |
 | Danny Malouf (L) | 1.3 | 75,673 | |
 | David Black (G) | 1.0 | 56,711 | |
| Kevin Keely (Independent) (Write-in) | 0.0 | 10 | ||
| Lowell Seida (Independent) (Write-in) | 0.0 | 6 | |
| Albert Schaal (Independent) (Write-in) | 0.0 | 2 | ||
| Total votes: 5,968,901 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Patrick Feges (Independent)
- Chad Koppie (Constitution Party)
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for U.S. Senate Illinois
Incumbent Dick Durbin advanced from the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate Illinois on March 17, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Dick Durbin | 100.0 | 1,446,118 |
| Total votes: 1,446,118 | |||
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Anne Stava (D)
- Marilyn Jordan Lawlor (D)
Republican primary election
Republican primary for U.S. Senate Illinois
The following candidates ran in the Republican primary for U.S. Senate Illinois on March 17, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Mark Curran | 41.6 | 205,747 |
| Peggy Hubbard | 22.9 | 113,189 | |
 | Robert Marshall | 15.3 | 75,561 | |
 | Tom Tarter | 14.7 | 73,009 | |
| Casey Chlebek | 5.6 | 27,655 | |
| Richard Mayers (Write-in) | 0.0 | 7 | ||
| Total votes: 495,168 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Burak Agun (R)
- Dean Seppelfrick (R)
- Connor VlaKancic (R)
- Preston Nelson (R)
2016
The race for Illinois' U.S. Senate seat was one of nine competitive battleground races in 2016. U.S. Rep. Tammy Duckworth (D) defeated incumbent Mark Kirk (R)—who was seeking re-election to his second term—Kenton McMillen (L), and Scott Summers (G) in the general election on November 8, 2016.
In her victory speech, Duckworth said, “Tonight, we showed a campaign that respects voters and is focused on practical solutions rather than shopworn slogans can be successful. We showed that a relentless focus on rebuilding Illinois’ middle class and respecting hard worth rather than wealth can be successful, too.”[23]
During his concession speech, Kirk said, "What unites us as Americans is much stronger than what divides us." Kirk also invited Duckworth to have a beer with him as a peace offering. He said, “This beer summit with [sic] show kids across Illinois that opponents can peacfully [sic] bury the hatchet.”[23][24]
Kirk's seat was vulnerable in 2016 due to Illinois' tendency to vote overwhelmingly for Democrats during presidential election cycles. Kirk faced significant opposition from national Democrats who targeted Illinois as an essential seat needed to regain the majority in the U.S. Senate. Democrats picked up two seats in Election Day, but they fell short of the five seats that they needed to take control of the Senate.[25]
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic |  Tammy Duckworth |
54.9% | 3,012,940 | |
| Republican | Mark Kirk Incumbent | 39.8% | 2,184,692 | |
| Libertarian | Kenton McMillen | 3.2% | 175,988 | |
| Green | Scott Summers | 2.1% | 117,619 | |
| N/A | Write-in | 0% | 639 | |
| Total Votes | 5,491,878 | |||
| Source: Illinois State Board of Elections | ||||
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Mark Kirk Incumbent |
70.6% | 931,619 | ||
| James Marter | 29.4% | 388,571 | ||
| Total Votes | 1,320,190 | |||
| Source: Illinois State Board of Elections |
||||
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Tammy Duckworth |
64.4% | 1,220,128 | ||
| Andrea Zopp | 24% | 455,729 | ||
| Napoleon Harris | 11.6% | 219,286 | ||
| Total Votes | 1,895,143 | |||
| Source: Illinois State Board of Elections |
||||
Ballot access
The table below details filing requirements for U.S. Senate 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. Senate candidates, 2026 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| State | Office | Party | Signatures required | Filing fee | Filing deadline | Source |
| Illinois | U.S. Senate | Established parties | 5,000 | N/A | 11/3/2025 | Source |
| Illinois | U.S. Senate | Independents | 25,000 | N/A | 5/26/2026 | Source |
2026 battleground elections
- See also: Battlegrounds
This is a battleground election. Other 2026 battleground elections include:
- Florida's 20th Congressional District election, 2026 (August 18 Democratic primary)
- Hawaii's 1st Congressional District election, 2026 (August 8 Democratic primary)
- Indiana's 4th Congressional District election, 2026 (May 5 Republican primary)
See also
- United States Senate election in Illinois, 2026 (March 17 Republican primary)
- United States Senate election in Illinois, 2026
- United States Senate Democratic Party primaries, 2026
- United States Senate Republican Party primaries, 2026
- United States Senate elections, 2026
- U.S. Senate battlegrounds, 2026
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Senator Dick Durbin, "Durbin Announces He Will Not Seek Re-Election in 2026," April 23, 2026
- ↑ Chicago Crusader, "Three-way race divides Illinois Democrats on path forward in March primary," December 22, 2025
- ↑ The Edwardsville Intelligencer, "Seven questions with Senate candidate Robin Kelly," October 16, 2025
- ↑ Robin Kelly 2026 campaign website, "Robin Kelly's "People Over Profits" Platform," accessed January 11, 2025
- ↑ Chicago Sun Times, "Krishnamoorthi's 'American Dream' economic plan includes homeowner tax credit, free lunch for kids," December 2, 2025
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 The Edwardsville Intelligencer, "Seven questions with Senate candidate Raja Krishnamoorthi," December 3, 2025
- ↑ The Edwardsville Intelligencer, "Seven questions with Senate candidate Juliana Stratton," December 3, 2025
- ↑ Capitol News Illinois, "Juliana’s Blueprint," accessed January 11, 2026
- ↑ Chicago Tribune, "Illinois Democratic Senate primary race has started slow. But contrasts emerge in bid to replace Dick Durbin," December 26, 2025
- ↑ NPR, "Stratton’s top priority in Senate campaign: Fighting back against Trump," May 2, 2025
- ↑ The Wall Street Journal, "JB Pritzker’s Illinois Political Clout Faces Test in Senate Primary," December 28, 2025
- ↑ ABC 7,' "Governor JB Pritzker endorses Juliana Stratton for Senate," April 25, 2025
- ↑ Chicago Tribune, "Juliana Stratton’s US Senate bid endorsed by House Speaker Emanuel ‘Chris’ Welch," July 14, 2025
- ↑ Chicgo Tribune, "US Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi adds to labor backing in Senate race with endorsement from Teamsters joint council," November 24, 2025
- ↑ American Federation of Government Employees, "Largest Federal Employee Union Endorses Raja Krishnamoorthi for Election to the U.S. Senate," January 8, 2026
- ↑ American Bazaar, "Former Illinois Lt. governor Sheila Simon endorses Raja Krishnamoorthi for US Senate," December 1, 2025
- ↑ Robin Kelly 2026 campaign website, "Endorsements," accessed January 14, 2026
- ↑ For more information on the difference between margins of error and credibility intervals, see explanations from the American Association for Public Opinion Research and Ipsos.
- ↑ Pew Research Center, "5 key things to know about the margin of error in election polls," September 8, 2016
- ↑ OpenSecrets.org, "Outside Spending," accessed December 12, 2021
- ↑ OpenSecrets.org, "Total Outside Spending by Election Cycle, All Groups," accessed December 12, 2021
- ↑ National Review.com, "Why the Media Hate Super PACs," December 12, 2021
- ↑ 23.0 23.1 WTTW.com, "Duckworth Defeats Kirk in Heated US Senate Race," accessed November 15, 2016
- ↑ CBS Chicago, "Tammy Duckworth Defeats Mark Kirk In U.S. Senate Race," accessed November 15, 2016
- ↑ Roll Call, "Democrats Could Face Primary Mess in Illinois Senate Race," January 23, 2015
