This St. Patrick’s Day, Whiteside, Lee and Carroll county 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 also can 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 side. 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.

• 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 Carroll and Whiteside counties as well as other counties in northwestern Illinois, is running for reelection.

Illinois Senate: Like its federal counterpart, only some of its members are up for reelection this year. In the Sauk Valley, that includes District 45, which is currently represented by Andrew S. Chesney, a Republican who is running for reelection. The district includes Boone, Carroll, DeKalb, Jo Daviess, Ogle, Stephenson and Winnebago counties.

Illinois House of Representatives: All state representative seats are up every two years. The races in the Sauk Valley include:

• 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 89: House Minority Leader Tony M. McCombie, a Republican representing Boone, Carroll, DeKalb, Jo Daviess, Ogle, Stephenson and Winnebago 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, but not in the district that includes Whiteside, Lee or Carroll counties, according to an Illinois State Board of Elections list as of Sept. 3. Voters also will get to vote on retentions.

Important dates

Oct. 27 to Nov. 3: 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 to file objections challenging whether candidates can appear on the ballot.

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 referenda 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 mail-in ballot.

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

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

Jan. 8: 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 ballots.

March 1: Last day to register to vote online through the Illinois 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 nonpartisan ballot, which includes any referenda.