“I’m super excited,” Wittig said. “We had a lot of people put in a lot of hard work and the vote turned out in our favor.”

The seat has been held by Democratic U.S. Rep. Lauren Underwood of Naperville since 2019. Underwood is running unopposed in the Democratic primary.

March 17 marks the 2026 primary, where La Salle, Bureau and Putnam county 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.

All four candidates for Bureau County Sheriff were asked in their Shaw Local election questionnaires the same question about one of the most politically charged issues in law enforcement

All four candidates for Bureau County Sheriff agree on the county’s most pressing public safety challenge: substance abuse and drug trafficking. But their strategies to combat it diverge sharply

La Moille school officials will host a public forum next week to discuss a proposed advisory ballot question regarding the possible deactivation of the district’s high school.

With the election about a month away, the four candidates running for Bureau County Sheriff’s position spoke and answered questions from voters during a community forum on Tuesday night.

Edward Jauch: My top priority is to aggressively focus on narcotic enforcement. I believe the majority of criminal activity in the county stem from substance abuse.

Both Republicans running to represent Illinois’ 14th Congressional District cited financial issues among their top concerns – but the specifics varied greatly.

As part of Shaw Local’s 2026 election coverage, we asked the candidates running for Bureau County sheriff to answer the same set of questions about public safety, leadership, and the future of the sheriff’s office. Now, you can listen to their responses anytime

R Cary Capparelli: AI is scary and Congress needs to control its use in both the private and public sectors by instituting protective laws.

Raja Krishnamoorthi: I intend to address the affordability crisis head-on. President Trump and his Administration have hurt working families through reckless policies like blanket tariffs that have fueled rising prices. Read Krishnamoorthi's full questionnaire here

Don Tracy on top priorities for the U.S. Senate: I will push for common sense solutions that make life more affordable for working families. This includes lowering energy and gas costs, health care costs, taxes, and inflation. Read Tracy's full election questionnaire here

Pamela Denise Long on immigration priorities: 1. No amnesty. 2. Change the “nation of immigrants” rhetoric. 3. Change the “legal good/illegal bad” narrative: Mass immigration both legal and illegal hurts the American citizen. Read Long's full election questionnaire here

Steve Botsford, U.S. Senate candidate: Allowing large financial firms to buy up large numbers of single-family homes distorts local markets and makes it harder for families to buy or rent at reasonable prices. Read Botsford's full election questionnaire here

Bryan Maxwell, a senate candidate on his top priority: Passing Medicare for All, to begin gradual transition of Americans to the Medicare program. Read Maxwell's full election questionnaire here

Robin Kelly: People are paying too much for healthcare. I will never give up fighting for Americans to have access to quality care. As a member of the Medicare for All Caucus, I am working to make Medicare for All the law of the land. Read Kelly's full questionnaire here

Jonathan Dean on a top priority for the U.S. Senate: Addressing the affordability crisis by temporarily allowing folks to use pretax dollars for everyday necessities, such as groceries, child care, and student loan payments. Read Dean's full questionnaire here