Everything you need to know for the March 2026 Illinois primary

This St. Patrick’s Day, Illinois voters can head to the polls in addition to sampling a green beer.

March 17 marks the 2026 primary, where voters can pull a Democratic or Republican ballot to pick who appears on the ballot come November. All voters, partisan or not, can weigh in on referendum questions.

The deadline for candidates to file is Nov. 3. Candidates will begin filing Monday.

Editor’s Note: The list of candidates will be updated at that time. Campaigns can also contact Emily Coleman at ecoleman@shawmedia.com if they notice their candidate is missing.

Which incumbents are running again?

Illinois governor and lieutenant governor: Incumbent JB Pritzker, a Democrat, is seeking reelection. He has named Christian Mitchell as his running mate after Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton announced her intention to run for the U.S. Senate. Former gubernatorial candidate and former state Sen. Darren Bailey, DuPage County Sheriff James Mendrick, Max Solomon, Barrington Hills real estate developer and Gold Rush Gaming owner Rick Heidner, and conservative research group Wirepoints president Ted Dabrowski are running as Republicans.

Illinois attorney general: Incumbent Kwame Raoul, a Democrat, said he will seek another term. Former Chicago alderman Bob Fioretti, Joe Cervantez and Andy Williams Jr. are running as Republicans.

Illinois secretary of state: Alexi Giannoulias, an incumbent Democrat, told Capitol Fax that he was running for reelection. Diane Harris, a Joliet Junior College trustee, and Walter Adamczyk are running as Republicans.

Illinois comptroller: Incumbent Susana Mendoza, a Democrat, is not running again. State Rep. Margaret Croke, Lake County Treasurer Holly Kim, Champaign County Auditor George Danos, former state Sen. Rickey Hendon, state Rep. Stephanie Kifowit and state Sen. Karina Villa are running as Democrats. Bryan Drew is running as a Republican.

Illinois treasurer: Incumbent Michael Frerichs, a Democrat, has not said whether he is seeking a fourth term.

U.S. Senate: Incumbent Dick Durbin, a Democrat, is not seeking reelection. Several candidates have announced their intention to run, including Stratton, U.S. Rep. Robin Kelly, U.S. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, Kevin Ryan, Christopher A. Swann, Stanley Leavell, Awisi Bustos, Jump W. Shepherd and Adam Delgado on the Democratic side and former Illinois Republican Party Chair Don Tracy, John Goodman, Casey Chlebek, Pamela Denise Long, Lloyd Jones, Jimmy Lee Tillman and R. Cary Capparelli on the Republican. Independents Tyrone Muhammad and Austin J. Mink also are running

U.S. House of Representatives: All 17 members of Congress representing Illinois are up in 2026. To find what district you live in, go to congress.gov/members/find-your-member.

District 1: Jonathan Jackson, a Democrat representing parts of Cook, Kankakee and Will counties, is running for reelection.
District 2: Robin Kelly, a Democrat representing parts of Champaign, Cook, Ford, Iroquois, Kankakee, Livingston, Vermilion and Will counties, is not seeking reelection and instead running for the U.S. Senate.
District 3: Delia Ramirez, a Democrat representing parts of Cook and DuPage counties, is running for reelection.
District 4: Jesus Garcia, a Democrat representing parts of Cook and DuPage counties, is running for reelection.
District 5: Mike Quigley, a Democrat representing parts of Cook and Lake counties, is running for reelection.
District 6: Sean Casten, a Democrat representing parts of Cook and DuPage counties, is running for reelection.
District 7: Danny Davis, a Democrat representing parts of Cook County, is not running for reelection.
District 8: Raja Krishnamoorthi, a Democrat representing parts of Cook, DuPage and Kane counties, is not seeking reelection and instead running for the U.S. Senate.
District 9: Jan Schakowsky, a Democrat representing parts of Cook, Lake and McHenry, is not seeking reelection after being in office since 1999. At least 18 Democrats and two Republicans have said they intend to run for the seat.
District 10: Brad Schneider, a Democrat representing parts of Cook, Lake and McHenry, is running for reelection.
District 11: Bill Foster, a Democrat representing parts of Boone, Cook, DeKalb, DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry and Will, is running for reelection.
District 12: Mike Bost, a Republican representing the southern part of Illinois, is running for reelection.
District 13: Nikki Budzinski, a Democrat representing the east side of St. Louis into parts of central Illinois, is running for reelection.
District 14: Lauren Underwood, a Democrat representing parts of Bureau, DeKalb, Kane, Kendall, La Salle, Putnam and Will counties, is running for reelection.
District 15: Mary Miller, a Republican who represents much of central Illinois, is running for reelection.
District 16: Darin LaHood, a Republican representing Boone, Bureau, DeKalb, Grundy, La Salle, Lee, Livingston, McHenry, Ogle and Putnam counties in addition to other counties in north-central Illinois, is running for reelection.
District 17: Eric Sorensen, a Democrat representing Caroll and Whiteside counties as well as other counties in northwestern Illinois, is running for reelection.

Illinois State Senate: Like its federal counterpart, only some of its members are up for reelection this year. In northern Illinois, that includes:

District 14: Emil Jones III, a Democrat representing Cook and Will counties, is running for reelection.
District 17: Elgie R. Sims Jr., a Democrat representing Cook, Kankakee and Will counties, is running for reelection.
District 21: Laura Ellman, a Democrat representing DuPage and Will counties, is running for reelection.
District 23: Suzy Glowiak Hilton, a Democrat representing DuPage and Cook counties, is running for reelection.
District 24: Seth Lewis, a Republican representing DuPage and Cook counties, is running for reelection.
District 26: Darby A. Hills, a Republican representing Cook, Kane, Lake and McHenry counties, is running for reelection. Hills was appointed in February 2025 to fill out the remainder of Dan McConchie’s term.
District 32: Craig Wilcox, a Republican representing Lake and McHenry counties, is running for reelection.
District 33: Don DeWitte, a Republican representing Kane, DuPage and McHenry counties, is not running for reelection.
District 35: Dave Syverson, a Republican representing Boone, DeKalb, Kane, McHenry and Winnebago counties, is running for reelection.
District 38: Sue Rezin, a Republican representing Bureau, DeKalb, Grundy, Kendall, La Salle and Will counties, is running for reelection.
District 39: Don Harmon, a Democrat representing DuPage and Cook counties, is running for reelection.
District 41: Senate Minority Leader John F. Curran, a Republican representing Cook, DuPage and Will counties, is running for reelection.
District 42: Linda Holmes, a Democrat representing DuPage, Kane, Kendall and Will counties, is running for reelection.
District 45: Andrew S. Chesney, a Republican representing Boone, Carroll, DeKalb, Jo Daviess, Ogle, Stephenson and Winnebago counties, is running for reelection.
District 53: Chris Balkema, a Republican representing Bureau, Grundy, La Salle, Livingston, Putnam and Will counties, among others, is running for reelection.

Illinois House of Representatives: All state representative seats are up every two years. Among some of the races in northern Illinois:

District 7: Illinois House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch, a Democrat representing Cook and DuPage counties, is running for reelection.
District 27: Justin Slaughter, a Democrat representing Cook and Will counties, is running for reelection
District 34: Nicholas K. Smith, a Democrat representing Cook, Kankakee and Will counties, is not running for reelection.
District 37: Patrick Sheehan, a Republican representing Cook and Will counties, is running for reelection.
District 38: Debbie Meyers-Martin, a Democrat representing Cook and Will counties, is running for reelection.
District 41: Janet Yang Rohr, a Democrat representing DuPage and Will counties, is running for reelection.
District 42: Terra Costa Howard, a Democrat representing DuPage County, is running for reelection.
District 43: Anna Moeller, a Democrat representing Cook and Kane counties, is running for reelection.
District 45: Martha Deuter, a Democrat representing Cook and DuPage counties, running for reelection.
District 46: Diane Blair-Sherlock, a Democrat representing DuPage County, is running for reelection.
District 47: Amy L. Grant, a Republican representing DuPage County, is not running for reelection.
District 48: Jennifer Sanalitro, a Republican representing Cook and DuPage counties, is running for reelection.
District 49: Maura Hirschauer, a Democrat representing Cook, Kane and DuPage counties, is running for reelection.
District 50: Barbara Hernandez, a Democrat representing Kane and DuPage counties, is running for reelection.
District 52: Martin McLaughlin, a Republican representing Cook, Kane, Lake and McHenry counties, is running for reelection.
District 56: Michelle Mussman, a Democrat representing Cook and DuPage counties, is running for reelection.
District 63: Steven Reick, a Republican representing McHenry County, is running for reelection.
District 64: Tom Weber, a Republican representing McHenry and Lake counties, is running for reelection.
District 65: Dan Ugaste, a Republican representing DuPage and Kane counties, is running for reelection.
District 66: Suzanne M. Ness, a Democrat representing Kane and McHenry counties, is running for reelection
District 70: Jeff Keicher, a Republican representing DeKalb, Kane and McHenry counties, is running for reelection.
District 73: Ryan Spain, a Republican representing Bureau, Henry, Lee and Whiteside, among other counties, is running for reelection.
District 74: Bradley Fritts, a Republican representing DeKalb, La Salle, Lee, Ogle and Whiteside counties, is running for reelection.
District 75: Jed Davis, a Republican representing DeKalb, Grundy, Kendall, La Salle and Will counties, is running for reelection.
District 76: Amy Briel, a Democrat representing Bureau, DeKalb and La Salle counties, is running for reelection.
District 77: Norma Hernandez, a Democrat representing Cook and DuPage counties, is running for reelection.
District 79: Jackie Haas, a Republican representing Cook, Grundy, Kankakee and Will counties, is running for reelection.
District 80: Anthony DeLuca, a Democrat representing Cook and Will counties, is running for reelection.
District 81: Anne Stava, a Democrat representing DuPage County, is running for reelection.
District 82: Nicole La Ha, a Republican representing Cook and DuPage counties, is running for reelection.
District 83: Matt Hanson, a Democrat representing Kane and Kendall counties, is running for reelection.
District 84: Stephanie A. Kifowit, a Democrat representing DuPage, Kane, Kendall and Will counties, is not running for reelection as she is running for comptroller.
District 85: Dagmara Avelar, a Democrat representing DuPage and Will counties, is running for reelection.
District 86: Lawrence “Larry” Walsh Jr., a Democrat representing Will County, is running for reelection.
District 89: House Minority Leader Tony M. McCombie, a Republican representing Boone, Carroll, DeKalb, Jo Daviess, Ogle, Stephenson and Winnebago counties, is running for reelection.
District 97: Harry Benton, a Democrat representing Kendall and Will counties, is running for reelection.
District 98: Natalie A. Manley, a Democrat representing Will County, is running for reelection.
District 105: Dennis Tipsword, a Republican representing Bureau, La Salle, Livingston and Putnam, among other counties, is not running for reelection.
District 106: Jason R. Bunting, a Republican representing Grundy, La Salle, Livingston and Will, among other counties, is running for reelection.

County-level races: Also on the ballot will be County Board members, county clerks, treasurers, sheriffs, assessors, and regional superintendents. Some counties also elect their Boards of Review, sanitary districts, and forest preserve district commissioners and president

What judicial races will I get to vote on?

Three vacancies are up at the Illinois appellate court level, according to an Illinois State Board of Elections list as of Sept. 3. Voters will also get to vote on retentions.

They include seats in the First, Third, and Fifth districts. The First District includes just Cook County. The Third Appellate District sits in Ottawa and includes Bureau, La Salle, DuPage, Will, Grundy, Kankakee, and Iroquois counties.

The 5th District sits in Mt. Vernon and covers much of southern Illinois, including Vermilion, Champaign, Piatt, De Witt, Macon, Christian, Montgomery, Bond and Madison.

Nearly 30 vacancies are up in Cook County, as well as nearly 20 seats across the rest of Illinois:

2nd Circuit, one in Edwards County, one in Richland and one in Wayne.
3rd Circuit, which includes Madison and Bond counties, on the 2nd Subcircuit.
4th Circuit, which includes nine counties in central Illinois.
8th Circuit, two at-large seats, serving eight counties in western Illinois.
9th Circuit, one in Warren County.
10th Circuit, one in Peoria County.
11th Circuit, one in Woodford County.
12th Circuit, three total seats in the Will County circuit, one each in the 1st, 3rd and 5th subcircuits.
13th Circuit, one at-large member for the circuit, which includes La Salle, Grundy and Bureau counties.
14th Circuit, one in Rock Island County.
15th Circuit, one in JoDaviess County.
17th Circuit in Winnebago and Boone counties, on the 2nd Subcircuit.
18th Circuit in Winnebago and Boone counties, on the 4th and 5th subcircuits.

Important Dates

Oct. 27 to Nov. 3, 2025: Candidates in established parties can file the necessary documents either at the Springfield office for state-level candidates or at the County Clerk’s Office in the county where they’re running.

Among the paperwork required is a statement of candidacy and petitions signed by registered voters. The number of signatures required varies by office.

Nov. 10: Last day for objections challenging whether candidates can appear on the ballot to be filed.

Nov. 17 to 24: Filing period for candidates seeking to fill judicial vacancies.

Dec. 3: Deadline to file objections in judicial vacancy races.

Dec. 15: Deadline to file petitions for referendums to appear on the March ballot. This does not include referendum questions authorized by local governments, just ones submitted through voter-signed petitions.

Dec. 17: First day to apply for a vote-by-mail ballot.

Dec. 22: Deadline to file objections on referendum questions.

Dec. 29: Deadline for local government boards – like school boards and city councils – to adopt a resolution or ordinance for a binding referendum.

Jan. 8, 2026: Last day for a candidate to withdraw from the race.

Jan. 15: Last day for a candidate to file as a write-in.

Feb. 5: Early voting starts and county clerks begin mailing vote-by-mail ballots.

March 1: Last day to register to vote online through the State Board of Elections’ website. Grace period registration and voting continues through Election Day.

March 17: Election Day for the 2026 primary. Polls close at 7 p.m. Voters can request a partisan ballot with either Democratic or Republican candidates listed or a non-partisan ballot, which includes any referendums.