Illinois State Senate elections, 2026
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| 2026 Illinois Senate Election |
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Elections for the Illinois State Senate will take place in 2026. The general election is on November 3, 2026. The primary is March 17, 2026. The filing deadline was November 3, 2025.
The Illinois State Senate is one of 88 state legislative chambers with elections in 2026. There are 99 chambers throughout the country.
Party control
| As of February 2026 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Party | Members | |
| Democratic | 40 | |
| Republican | 19 | |
| Other | 0 | |
| Vacancies | 0 | |
| Total | 59 | |
Candidates
Primary
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate ConnectionGeneral election
Illinois State Senate general election 2026 |
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| Office |  Democratic |
 Republican |
Other |
| District 2 | Primary results pending | ||
| District 3 | Primary results pending | ||
| District 5 | Primary results pending | ||
| District 6 | Primary results pending | ||
| District 8 | Primary results pending | ||
| District 9 | Primary results pending | ||
| District 11 | Primary results pending | ||
| District 12 | Primary results pending | ||
| District 14 | Primary results pending | ||
| District 15 | Primary results pending | ||
| District 17 | Primary results pending | ||
| District 18 | Primary results pending | ||
| District 20 | Primary results pending | ||
| District 21 | Primary results pending | ||
| District 23 | Primary results pending | ||
| District 24 | Primary results pending | ||
| District 26 | Primary results pending | ||
| District 27 | Primary results pending | ||
| District 29 | Primary results pending | ||
| District 30 | Primary results pending | ||
| District 32 | Primary results pending | ||
| District 33 | Primary results pending | ||
| District 35 | Primary results pending | ||
| District 36 | Primary results pending | ||
| District 38 | Primary results pending | ||
| District 39 | Primary results pending | ||
| District 41 | Primary results pending | ||
| District 42 | Primary results pending | ||
| District 44 | Primary results pending | ||
| District 45 | Primary results pending | ||
| District 47 | Primary results pending | ||
| District 48 | Primary results pending | ||
| District 50 | Primary results pending | ||
| District 51 | Primary results pending | ||
| District 53 | Primary results pending | ||
| District 54 | Primary results pending | ||
| District 56 | Primary results pending | ||
| District 57 | Primary results pending | ||
| District 59 | Primary results pending | ||
Voting information
- See also: Voting in Illinois
Incumbents retiring
Five incumbents did not file for re-election in 2026.[1] The average number of retiring Illinois Senate incumbents each year from 2010 and 2024 was 4.8. Those incumbents are:
Primary election competitiveness
This section contains data on state legislative primary election competitiveness in Illinois. These totals include data from all regularly-scheduled House and Senate elections. For more information about Ballotpedia's competitiveness analysis of state legislative elections, please click here.
Post-filing deadline analysis
The following analysis covers all state legislative districts up for election in Illinois in 2026. Information below was calculated on Jan. 8, 2026, and may differ from information shown in the table above due to candidate replacements and withdrawals after that time.
In 2026, 12.7% of the state legislative incumbents running for election in Illinois face primary contests, down from 14.4% in 2024 and the lowest percentage since 2016, when 11.8% of incumbents faced primaries.
In total, 18 incumbents face contested primaries across the Illinois House and Senate. The average number of incumbents contested each election cycle since 2010 was 21. Of the 18 incumbents in contested primaries, 11 are Democrats and seven are Republicans.
Illinois has 33 contested state legislative primaries in 2026, an 18% increase from 28 in the preceding cycle.
Nineteen of these primaries are for Democrats, up 12% from 17 in 2024. Republicans have 14 primaries, a 27% increase from 11 in 2024.
In total, 282 major party candidates—157 Democrats and 125 Republicans—filed to run. All 118 House seats and 39 of 59 Senate seats are up for election. Fifteen of those seats are open, meaning no incumbents filed. Six seats were open in 2024.
Open seats
The table below shows the number and percentage of open seats in the Illinois Senate from 2010 to 2026.[2] It will be updated as information becomes available following the state’s candidate filing deadline.
| Open Seats in Illinois State Senate elections: 2010 - 2026 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Total seats | Open seats | Seats with incumbents running for re-election |
| 2026 | 39 | 5 (13 percent) | 34 (87 percent) |
| 2024 | 20 | 1 (5 percent) | 19 (95 percent) |
| 2022 | 59 | 8 (14 percent) | 51 (86 percent) |
| 2020 | 20 | 6 (30 percent) | 14 (70 percent) |
| 2018 | 39 | 6 (15 percent) | 33 (85 percent) |
| 2016 | 40 | 5 (13 percent) | 35 (87 percent) |
| 2014 | 19 | 1 (5 percent) | 18 (95 percent) |
| 2012 | 59 | 12 (20 percent) | 47 (80 percent) |
| 2010 | 21 | 1 (5 percent) | 20 (95 percent) |
Process to become a candidate
See statutes: Chapter 10, Section 5, Article 7 of the Illinois Statutes
In Illinois, a candidate may run with an established political party, with a new party, as an independent candidate, or as a write-in candidate. Candidate qualification processes are detailed below.[3]
Political party candidates and independent candidates
Established political party candidates, new party candidates, and independent candidates must file nomination papers with the Illinois State Board of Elections in order to qualify for placement on the ballot. These nomination papers must be filed during the designated filing period. The filing period for established party candidates begins 127 days before the primary election and ends 120 days before the primary election. New party and independent candidates have a separate filing period. Their filing period begins 141 days before the general election and ends 134 days before the general election.[4][3]
Nomination papers include the following:[3]
- The statement of candidacy must indicate the candidate's address, the office being sought, and the candidate's political party designation (if applicable). This form also includes a statement affirming that the candidate is qualified for the office being sought. This form must be signed by the candidate and notarized.[5]
- The original statement of economic interests must be filed with the Illinois Secretary of State, which will then issue the receipt of the statement of economic interests for the candidate to file with the Illinois State Board of Elections. This form is not required from candidates seeking federal office. It is suggested that this form be filed at the same time as all other nomination papers, but it may be filed after the other papers as long as it is filed within the candidate filing period.[3]
- The loyalty oath form is optional. If a candidate chooses to sign it, he or she must affirm that he or she is not affiliated directly or indirectly with any organization that seeks to overthrow the government of the United States or the state of Illinois.[3]
- A petition containing the signatures of qualified electors. A candidate can begin circulating petitions 90 days before the last day of the filing period. Signature requirements for petitions vary according to the candidate's political party affiliation and the office being sought. Signature requirements are detailed in the table below.[3][6][3]
| Petition signature requirements | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Office | Established party candidates | New party candidates | Independent candidates[7] |
| Statewide office (e.g., governor and lieutenant governor, attorney general, secretary of state, comptroller, treasurer) | 5,000 (no more than 10,000) primary voters belonging to the candidate's party | 1% of the number of voters who voted in the most recent general election or 25,000, whichever is less | 1% of the number of voters who voted in the most recent general election or 25,000, whichever is less |
| United States Representative | 0.5% of primary voters in the district belonging to the candidate's party | 5% of the total number of district voters who voted in the last general election | 5% of the total number of district voters who voted in the last general election |
| State senator | 1,000 (no more than 3,000) district voters belonging to the candidate's party | 5% of the total number of district voters who voted in the last general election | 5% of the total number of district voters who voted in the last general election |
| State representative | 500 (no more than 1,500) district voters belonging to the candidate's party | 5% of the total number of district voters who voted in the last general election | 5% of the total number of district voters who voted in the last general election |
Any objections to nomination papers must be filed no later than five business days after the filing deadline.[3]
Write-in candidates
Write-in votes will not be counted unless the candidate files a declaration of intent no later than 61 days before the election in which he or she is running. This form must indicate the office being sought by the candidate.[3][8]
Qualifications
Article IV of the Illinois Constitution states: To be eligible to serve as a member of the General Assembly, a person must be a United States citizen, at least 21 years old, and for the two years preceding his election or appointment a resident of the district which he is to represent.
Salaries and per diem
- See also: Comparison of state legislative salaries
| State legislative salaries, 2025[9] | |
|---|---|
| Salary | Per diem |
| $93,712/year | $178/day |
When sworn in
Illinois legislators assume office the second Wednesday in January.[10]
Illinois political history
Trifectas
A state government trifecta is a term that describes single-party government, when one political party holds the governor's office and has majorities in both chambers of the legislature in a state government.
Illinois Party Control: 1992-2026
20 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 | 26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | 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 | 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 | D |
Presidential politics in Illinois
2024
- See also: Presidential election, 2024
Presidential election in Illinois, 2024
Candidate/Running mate |
% |
Popular votes |
Electoral votes |
||
| ✔ |
 
| Kamala D. Harris/Tim Walz (D) |
54.4
|
3,062,863 | 19 |
 
| Donald Trump/J.D. Vance (R) |
43.5
|
2,449,079 | 0 | |
 
| Robert F. Kennedy Jr./Nicole Shanahan (Independent) |
1.4
|
80,426 | 0 | |
 
| Jill Stein/Butch Ware (Green Party, Independent) (Write-in) |
0.6
|
31,023 | 0 | |
 
| Chase Oliver/Mike ter Maat (Independent) (Write-in) |
0.1
|
3,510 | 0 | |
 | Claudia De La Cruz (no running mate) (Independent) (Write-in) |
0.1
|
2,877 | 0 | |
 | Peter Sonski (no running mate) (Independent) (Write-in) |
0.0
|
1,391 | 0 | |
 | Shiva Ayyadurai (no running mate) (Independent) (Write-in) |
0.0
|
42 | 0 | |
 | Heather Lynn Stone (no running mate) (Independent) (Write-in) |
0.0
|
30 | 0 | |
 
| Joseph Kishore/Jerry White (Independent) (Write-in) |
0.0
|
12 | 0 | |
 | Future Madam Potus (no running mate) (Independent) (Write-in) |
0.0
|
12 | 0 | |
|
| James Struck (no running mate) (Independent) (Write-in) |
0.0
|
8 | 0 | |
 | Andre Ramon McNeil (no running mate) (Independent) (Write-in) |
0.0
|
7 | 0 | |
|
| Gordon Hlavenka (no running mate) (Independent) (Write-in) |
0.0
|
5 | 0 | |
|
| Kevin McKee (no running mate) (Independent) (Write-in) |
0.0
|
4 | 0 | |
|
| Cherunda Lynn Fox (no running mate) (Independent) (Write-in) |
0.0
|
3 | 0 | |
|
| Gary Hubbard (no running mate) (Independent) (Write-in) |
0.0
|
3 | 0 | |
|
| Brian Kienitz (no running mate) (Independent) (Write-in) |
0.0
|
2 | 0 | |
 | Susan Buchser-Lochocki (no running mate) (Independent) (Write-in) |
0.0
|
1 | 0 | |
|
| Richard Mayers (no running mate) (Independent) (Write-in) |
0.0
|
1 | 0 | |
| Other write-in votes |
0.0
|
2,011 | 0 | ||
 |
Total votes: 5,633,310 |
2020
- See also: Presidential election, 2020
Presidential election in Illinois, 2020
Candidate/Running mate |
% |
Popular votes |
Electoral votes |
||
| ✔ |
| Joe Biden/Kamala D. Harris (D) |
57.6
|
3,471,915 | 20 |
| Donald Trump/Mike Pence (R) |
40.6
|
2,446,891 | 0 | |
 
| Jo Jorgensen/Spike Cohen (L) |
1.1
|
65,544 | 0 | |
 
| Howie Hawkins/Angela Nicole Walker (G) |
0.5
|
30,494 | 0 | |
 
| Brian T. Carroll/Amar Patel (American Solidarity Party) |
0.2
|
9,548 | 0 | |
| Gloria La Riva/Leonard Peltier (Party for Socialism and Liberation) |
0.1
|
8,046 | 0 | |
| Other write-in votes |
0.0
|
306 | 0 | ||
|
Total votes: 6,032,744 |
2016
- See also: Presidential election, 2016
| U.S. presidential election, Illinois, 2016 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | Electoral votes | |
| Democratic |  Hillary Clinton/Tim Kaine |
55.8% | 3,090,729 | 20 | |
| Republican | Donald Trump/Mike Pence | 38.8% | 2,146,015 | 0 | |
| Libertarian | Gary Johnson/Bill Weld | 3.8% | 209,596 | 0 | |
| Green | Jill Stein/Ajamu Baraka | 1.4% | 76,802 | 0 | |
| - | Write-in votes | 0.2% | 13,282 | 0 | |
| Total Votes | 5,536,424 | 20 | |||
| Election results via: Illinois State Board of Elections | |||||
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 |
Redistricting following the 2020 census
The Illinois State Legislature approved new state legislative maps in a special session on August 31, 2021. Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D) signed the new maps into law on September 24, 2021.[11] These maps were revised versions of maps enacted on June 4, 2021, that the legislature based on non-census population estimates. Following the release of census data in August, the legislature reconvened to develop and approve a revised map. These maps were later subject to a federal lawsuit that was decided on December 30, 2021, with the court upholding the maps enacted on September 24, 2021.[12] Learn more here.
See also
| Illinois | State Legislative Elections | News and Analysis |
|---|---|---|
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2025 • 2024 • 2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 • 2016 • 2015 • 2014 2025 • 2024 • 2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 • 2016 • 2015 |
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External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Ballotpedia defines an incumbent as retiring if the incumbent did not file for office or filed for office but withdrew, was disqualified, or otherwise left a race in a manner other than losing the primary, primary runoff, or convention. If an incumbent runs as a write-in candidate, Ballotpedia does not consider them to be retiring. If an incumbent runs in the same chamber for a different seat, Ballotpedia does not consider them to be retiring.
- ↑ Ballotpedia defines a seat as open if the incumbent did not file to run for re-election or filed but withdrew and did not appear on any ballot for his or her seat. If the incumbent withdrew from or did not participate in the primary but later chose to seek re-election to his or her seat as a third party or independent candidate, the seat would not be counted as open. If the incumbent retired or ran for a different seat in the same chamber, his or her original seat would be counted as open unless another incumbent from the same chamber filed to run for that seat, in which case it would not be counted as open due to the presence of an incumbent.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 3.8 Illinois State Board of Elections, "State of Illinois Candidate's Guide 2025," accessed February 26, 2025
- ↑ Illinois Statutes, "Chapter 10, Section 5, Article 10, Section 12," accessed February 26, 2025
- ↑ Illinois Statutes, "Chapter 10, Section 5, Article 7, Section 10.1," accessed February 26, 2025
- ↑ Illinois Statutes, "Chapter 10, Section 5, Article 7, Section 10," accessed February 26, 2025
- ↑ Illinois Statutes, "Chapter 10, Section 5, Article 10, Section 3," accessed February 26, 2025
- ↑ Illinois Statutes, "Chapter 10, Section 5, Article 7, Section 59," accessed February 26, 2025
- ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "2025 Legislator Compensation," December 2, 2025
- ↑ Illinois Constitution, "Article 4, Section 5a," accessed November 1, 2021
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedseptmapexplain - ↑ Longview News-Journal, "Court upholds Illinois legislative redistricting plan," Jan. 4, 2021
