This story was originally published by Block Club Chicago.
Many Illinois politicians had an early election night as they cruised to victory in non-competitive races.
While much of the country followed hotly contested races that determined control of Congress, Illinois voters weighed in on races that featured heavy favorites or even no challenger.
Those races include governor and senator, with JB Pritzker and Juliana Stratton, respectively, who were both announced as winners moments after polls closed Tuesday.
One of the most closely watched elections is for Chicago School Board, which is being fully elected for the first time after decades of mayoral control.
The lack of competitive races could have contributed to mild voter turnout in Chicago. About 43 percent of Chicago voters turned out for Tuesday’s midterm general election, according to early results.
That number is expected to rise as late arriving vote-by-mail ballots are tallied, but it is slightly below the voter turnout in the 2022 midterm and well below the 2018 midterms.
Voters still experienced some long lines at polling places, however. Some polling places saw a shortage of paper ballots, causing voters to have to wait in hours-long lines to vote on the few electronic voting machines at their polling site.
Pritzker Wins 3rd Term
Gov. JB Pritzker won a rare third term Tuesday, defeating Republican Darren Bailey in a rematch of their 2022 race and extending Democrats’ hold on the governor’s office.
Pritzker was declared the winner by the Associated Press with zero votes counted just as polls closed at 7 p.m. Tuesday. He ended Tuesday night with nearly 60 percent of the statewide vote.
The victory gives Pritzker another four years—and an unprecedented third term for a Democrat governor—in Springfield as speculation continues about a possible 2028 presidential campaign. Pritzker has said he isn’t ruling out a run, but he has repeatedly said his focus is on Illinois.
Pritzker, a billionaire heir to the Hyatt Hotels fortune, gave his campaign fund $65 million in August. He has also poured nearly $39 million into supporting other Democrats and political causes nationwide in what experts said is an effort to bolster his national profile and political network, the Tribune reported.
Stratton To Replace Durbin In Senate
Democrat Juliana Stratton’s race for U.S. Senate was also called within minutes of polls closing Tuesday and with zero votes officially tallied.
Illinois’ lieutenant governor since 2019, Stratton ran against Republican Don Tracy, former chairman of the Illinois Republican Party, and American Center Party candidate Whitfield Harrington, a pastor, for the seat held by retiring U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin. Stratton garnered 61 percent of the vote with 93 percent of votes counted as of Wednesday morning.
Ten Democrats ran for the post in the primary, as did six Republicans. The contest—particularly among the Democratic candidates—was contentious at times, with Stratton edging out U.S. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, who represents the 8th Congressional District in the west and northwest suburbs.
Durbin, one of the top Democrats in the Senate, has represented Illinois since 1997.
Stratton is the second Black woman to serve as a Senator from Illinois after Carol Moseley Braun, the first Black woman senator in the country’s history. Illinois is the only state to have two women of color serve congruently in the Senate. Stratton is the fifth Black woman senator in history, according to 19th News.
“Tonight, we sent a message so loud they can hear it all the way in Washington: This seat belongs to the people of Illinois,” Stratton said in her victory speech. “Two months from now, when I walk into the United States Capitol, I intend to remember exactly who sent me there: each and every one of you.”
U.S. House
Chicago voters cast ballots in seven congressional districts.
Jackson Wins In 1st District
Democratic incumbent Rep. Jonathan Jackson has been elected to his second term in the 1st Congressional District, which includes much of the South Side and south suburbs. The Associated Press called the race for Jackson, who is the son of the late Rev. Jesse Jackson, at 7:58 p.m. He defeated Republican Christian Maxwell, a businesswoman making her first run for public office.
Jackson advanced to the general election after beating 16 other Democratic hopefuls in the June primary.
Jackson will take over in the House of Representatives for Rush, 75, who announced Jan. 4 he would step down when his 15th term ends next year. Rush endorsed challenger Karin Norington-Reaves, who placed third in the primary.
Miller Wins In 2nd District
Democrat Donna Miller has been elected for her first term in the 2nd Congressional District, taking over for outgoing Rep. Robin Kelly, who declined to run for reelection and instead made an unsuccessful bid for U.S. Senate. The Associated Press called the race for Miller, a Cook County commissioner, at 7:55 p.m. She defeated Republican Mike Noack, a truck driver from Kankakee County.
Miller defeated nine other competitors in the Democratic primary in which the Democratic candidates repeatedly slammed each other’s funders while largely agreeing on broadly liberal policies such as tax increases on corporations and billionaires, Medicare for All and reductions in military spending. The district covers a large portion of the south suburbs and into central Illinois.
Ramirez Wins In 3rd District
Incumbent Rep. Delia Ramirez defeated Republican Angel Oakley to win a third term in federal office. Ramirez lead with 63 percent of the vote, with nearly 29 percent of the vote counted as of 8:30 p.m.
In 2022, Ramirez has made history as the first Midwestern Latina elected to United States Congress. She cruised to reelection in 2024, with 67 percent of the vote. The 3rd District covers parts of the Northwest Side and west suburbs.
Ramirez, a former community organizer and social services director, was first elected to the Illinois House in 2018.
Garcia Wins In 4th District
Patty Garcia is the new congresswoman for the 4th Congressional District, the only majority-Latino district in the Midwest.
Garcia won 70.6 percent of the vote, with 27.8 percent of votes counted, according to the Associated Press. The former chief of staff for retiring U.S. Rep. Jesus “Chuy” Garcia defeated independent Chris Getty, Republican candidate Lupe Castillo and Working Party candidate Ed Hershey.
The race had turned out to be one of the most unique and controversial in the country, after Garcia dropped out of the race at the last minute, leaving only Patty Garcia on the ballot for the Democratic primary.
Quigley Wins In 5th District
U.S. Rep. Mike Quigley has won reelection to represent Illinois’ 5th Congressional District, securing another term in Washington as he campaigns to become Chicago’s next mayor.
Quigley defeated Republican challenger Tommy Hanson, claiming 74.8 percent of the vote with 38.7 percent of votes counted. The North Side Democrat has represented the district since 2009.
Quigley is one of 16 candidates who have filed to run for mayor in Chicago’s municipal election next year. If he wins the mayor’s race, he would leave his congressional seat vacant, triggering a special election to determine his successor.
Ford Wins In 7th District
Democratic state Rep. La Shawn Ford has been elected to represent the 7th Congressional District, taking the torch from retiring U.S. Rep. Danny Davis in a district that covers much of Downtown and the West Side.
The Associated Press called the race for Ford, who defeated Republican Chad Koppie, at 7:54 p.m. Tuesday. It’s the first time the 7th Congressional District will have a new elected leader in 30 years. Ford has been a member of the Illinois House of Representatives, representing the 8th district since 2007.
Biss Wins In 9th District
Democrat Daniel Biss, the mayor of Evanston and a former state senator, beat Republican John Elleson to win the U.S. House seat serving the Far North Side and North Shore suburbs.
Biss won the progressive district following a bruising primary race in which he beat over a dozen Democratic hopefuls. Biss was elected mayor of Evanston in 2021. Before that, he was a state senator in the 9th District from 2013 to 2019 and a state representative in the 17th District from 2011 to 2013.
Biss also ran for governor in 2018, but he came in second in the Democratic primary to Pritzker, who went on to beat incumbent Bruce Rauner that fall.
Biss has also been present at anti-ICE protests, and in December he confronted Border Patrol boss Greg Bovino at an Evanston gas station while federal immigration agents were traveling around the area.
Biggs Declares Victory In Chicago School Board President Race
Former principal and current school board member Jessica Biggs is poised to win the race to serve as Chicago Public Schools’ first elected board president.
In the most recent results, she had a wide lead over former Chicago Teachers Union official Hilario Dominguez and attorney Victor Henderson. A win for Biggs would be a key step in eroding the firm control the union has held over the current partly-elected school board.
Biggs, a former CPS principal and current school board member, wants to prioritize financial stability and high-quality education for every student. She’s backed by the progressive Service Employees International Union Local 73 and also has backing from the business community and former government officials who worked under former mayor Rahm Emanuel.
Dominguez, a former CPS teacher on leave from the district and his role with the union, promised to continue pushing for more state dollars and to pursue new initiatives such as offering preschool to all city 3-year-olds.
Henderson, an attorney who serves on the board of Urban Prep Charter Academy, is centering his campaign on advancing student achievement and fiscal responsibility. He broke open contribution caps when he lent his campaign $500,000 and has secured support from two Black congresspeople, prominent lawyers and pastors of large Black South and West side churches, including Michael Pfleger of St. Sabina and Byron Brazier of Apostolic Church of God.
Illinois Statewide Offices
Giannoulias Reelected As Secretary Of State
Alexi Giannoulias claimed victory in his reelection effort for secretary of state Tuesday. With 75 percent of the vote tallied at 10:40 p.m., Giannoulias secured 65 percent of the vote to Republican Diane Harris’ 35 percent.
Harris is a Joliet businesswoman and member of the Joliet Junior College board. Giannoulias, a former state treasurer, has also filed to run for Chicago mayor. Harris previously ran unsuccessfully for state Senate in 2022.
Raoul Wins Attorney General Race
Democratic incumbent Kwame Raoul won his reelection bid Tuesday, defeating Republican Bob Fioretti with 61 percent of the vote as of 11 p.m., when nearly 85 percent of the votes were tallied.
Raoul, a former state senator and Cook County prosecutor, ran for a third term. He ran Republican Fioretti, a former 2nd Ward alderman who has made several unsuccessful bids for higher office since leaving City Council in 2015.
Croke Wins Comptroller Race
Democrat Margaret Croke claimed victory in her race for state comptroller. With 70 percent of the vote counted at 10 p.m., Croke led Republican opponent Bryan Drew with 61 percent of the vote to Drew’s 39.
Croke, a state representative backed heavily by Pritzker, won the Democratic primary for comptroller against three opponents. She will succeed Susana Mendoza, who decided not to run for reelection and instead threw her hat in the ring for Chicago mayor in next year’s municipal election.
Frerichs Wins As State Treasurer
Democratic incumbent Mike Frerichs claimed victory in Tuesday’s election, winning a fourth term. As of 10:30 p.m. Tuesday, Frerichs secured 62 percent of the vote to Republican Max Solomon’s 38 percent with 74 percent of the vote in.
Solomon, a south suburban attorney, secured the Republican nomination through a write-in campaign in the March primary after no Republican filed for the race. Frerichs previously served in the Illinois Senate and has been state treasurer since 2015.
City Ballot Questions
Chicagoans will weigh in on non-binding questions on their Nov. 3 ballots meant to gauge support on issues. The questions, and how Chicagoans voted, include:
Operation Midway Blitz Reimbursement
Chicago voters largely backed a ballot question supported by Mayor Brandon Johnson that asks if the city should seek compensation from the Trump administration for the economic fallout from last year’s Operation Midway Blitz.
The ballot question asked if the city should pursue “all lawful means” to recover money from the federal government for costs and economic harm related to Midway Blitz, including “lost tax revenue, public safety response costs, and services provided to residents and families affected by those operations.”
As of 9:40 p.m., more than 84 percent of voters were in favor of seeking compensation.
Millionaire’s Tax
Chicagoans on Tuesday voted decisively in favor of two ballot questions that asked whether the state of Illinois should impose a new tax on millionaires to fund public education and other initiatives.
As of 9:40 p.m., nearly 80 percent of Chicago voters had backed both millionaire taxes.
Permanent Festival Grounds
Chicagoans also voted in favor of a question asking if the city should explore creating a permanent outdoor event space to host festivals and other events.
The idea has gained traction as some major summer and fall festivals have been criticized by neighbors for taking over public parks for weeks at a time. That includes Lollapalooza in Grant Park and Riot Fest in Douglass Park in North Lawndale.
As of 9:40 p.m., more than 67 percent of voters supported the measure.
Reinstate Gunshot Detection System
A large majority of voters would also like to see the city resume using gunshot detection technology, according to election results.
Johnson campaigned on phasing out the technology known as ShotSpotter, citing studies that question its efficacy.
As of 9:40 p.m., more than 72 percent of voters voted in favor of restarting the use of gunshot detection technology.
Cook County Offices
Preckwinkle Reelected As Cook County Board President
Democratic incumbent Toni Preckwinkle won reelection Tuesday, securing 79 percent of the vote to opponent Michael Murphy’s 21 percent with 60 percent of the vote counted by 9:40 p.m.
Preckwinkle has led the county board since 2010 and is also chair of the Cook County Democratic Party. She easily fought off a primary challenge from Ald. Brendan Reilly (42nd) to advance to Tuesday’s general election.
Murphy, who ran as a Libertarian, is an IT systems engineer who said he wants to reduce government spending and taxes.
Dart Retained As Cook County Sheriff
Democratic incumbent Tom Dart cruised to reelection Tuesday, with 86 percent of the vote to challenger Brad Sandefur’s 14 percent with 55 percent of the vote counted by 9:40 p.m.
Dart has served as sheriff since 2006 and previously served in the Illinois House and Senate. Sandefur, the Libertarian challenger, is a longtime employee of the Sheriff’s Office who has worked as a correctional officer, police officer, investigator and shift commander.
Hynes Wins Cook County Assessor Race
Democrat Pat Hynes beat Libertarian Nico Tsatsoulis, securing 86 percent of the vote to Tsatsoulis’ 14 percent.
Hynes is the Lyons Township assessor and previously spent more than 20 years working in the Cook County Assessor’s Office. He beat incumbent assessor Fritz Kaegi in the spring primary after running on a platform to make Cook County’s property tax system more equitable and transparent.
Tsatsoulis is a real estate professional who previously ran for assessor in 2022 and the Cook County Board of Review in 2024.
Gordon Elected As Cook County Clerk
Democratic incumbent Monica Gordon secured reelection after running unopposed. She was elected in 2024 after serving on the Cook County Board.
Pappas Wins Cook County Treasurer
Democratic incumbent Maria Pappas secured reelection Tuesday in her unopposed race. Pappas has been in office since 1998 and previously served as a Cook County commissioner. Pappas, an attorney known for her colorful sartorial choices and calendar giveaway, has also filed to run for Chicago mayor.
Cook County Judges
All 60 Cook County circuit judges up for retention are on track to keep their seats for another six years — but three hover just above the 60% threshold needed. The three judges who hold slim margins as of Wednesday morning received negative ratings from at least one of the 14 local bar associations that review judicial performance.