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 was Nov. 3.

Who has filed?

Illinois governor and lieutenant governor: Incumbent JB Pritzker, a Democrat, has filed to run for 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.

Conservative research group Wirepoints president Ted Dabrowski, DuPage County Sheriff James Mendrick, former state Sen. Darren Bailey, Gregg Moore of Broadview, Gold Rush Gaming owner Rick Heidner of Barrington Hills, Max Solomon of Hazel Crest and Joseph Severino of Lake Forest have filed as Republicans. Patricia L. Tillman of Chicago has filed as a Democrat.

Illinois attorney general: Incumbent Kwame Raoul, a Democrat, has filed to run for another term. Former Chicago alderman Bob Fioretti and Andy Williams Jr. of Darien have filed to run as Republicans.

Illinois secretary of state: Alexi Giannoulias, an incumbent Democrat, has filed to run for reelection. Walter Adamczyk of Chicago and Joliet Junior College Trustee Diane M. Harris filed to run as Republicans.

Illinois comptroller: Incumbent Susana Mendoza, a Democrat, is not running again. State Sen. Karina Villa of West Chicago, Lake County Treasurer Holly Kim of Mundelein, state Rep. Margaret Croke of Chicago, state Rep. Stephanie Kifowit of Oswego and Champaign County Auditor George Danos have filed to run as Democrats and and Bryan Drew of Benton as a Republican. Former state Sen. Rickey Hendon has also said he is running as a Democrat.

Illinois treasurer: Incumbent Michael Frerichs, a Democrat, has filed to run for a fourth term.

U.S. Senate: Incumbent Dick Durbin, a Democrat, is not seeking reelection.

Casey Chlebek, former Illinois Republican Party Chair Don Tracy, R. Cary Capparelli of Chicago, CaSándra Claiborne of Chicago, Pamela Denise Long of Edwardsville, Jimmy Lee Tillman II of Chicago, Jeannie Evans of Chicago and John Goodman of Des Plaines have filed to run as Republicans.

Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton of Chicago, U.S. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi of Schaumburg, Kevin Ryan of Chicago, U.S. Rep. Robin Kelly of Lynwood, Steve Botsford Jr. of Chicago, Jump Shepherd of North Riverside, Jonathan Dean of Chicago, Sean Brown of Orland Park, Bryan Maxwell of Urbana, Adam Delgado of Chicago, Anthony W. Williams of Dolton, Awisi A. Bustos of Springfield, Robert Palmer of Chicago and Christopher A. Swann of Chicago as Democrats. Independents Tyrone Muhammad and Austin J. Mink have also said they 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, has filed to run for reelection. Marcus Lewis of Matteson and Christian Maxwell of Chicago have filed as Republicans.
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. Robert Peters of Chicago, Eric France of Lynwood, Donna Miller of Lynwood, Yumeka Brown of Matteson, Willie Preston of Chicago, Jesse Louis Jackson Jr. of Chicago, Patrick J. “PJK” Keating of Flossmoor, Toni C. Brown of Chicago Heights, Sidney Moore of Calumet City and Adal Regis of Chicago have filed to run as Democrats and Ashley Ramos of Clifton and Michael Scott Noack of Bonfield as Republicans.
District 3: Delia Ramirez, a Democrat representing parts of Cook and DuPage counties, has filed to run for reelection. Angel Oakley of Wheaton and Spomenka Vajic of Chicago have filed to run as Republicans and Mark John Pasieka Sr. of Chicago as a Democrat.
District 4: While Jesus “Chuy” Garcia, a Democrat representing parts of Cook and DuPage counties, filed to run for reelection, multiple outlets reported he does not plan to run anymore. Lupe Castillo of Chicago has filed to run as a Republican, Ed Hershey of Chicago for the Working Class Party and Garcia’s Chief of Staff, Patty Garcia of Cicero, as a Democrat.
District 5: Mike Quigley, a Democrat representing parts of Cook and Lake counties, has filed to run for reelection. Matthew Conroy of Chicago, Anthony Michael Tamez of Chicago, Ellen A. Corley of Chicago and Jonny Antonio Bishop of Chicago also filed as Democrats and Tommy Hanson and Barry Wicker, both of Chicago, filed to run as Republicans.
District 6: Sean Casten, a Democrat representing parts of Cook and DuPage counties, has filed to run for reelection. Joseph “Joey” Ruzevich of Chicago also filed to run as a Democrat and Niki Conforti of Glen Ellyn and Skylar Duensing of Shorewood have filed to run as Republicans.
District 7: Danny Davis, a Democrat representing parts of Cook County, is not running for reelection. Anthony Driver Jr. of Chicago, Richard R. Boykin of Oak Park, Melissa Conyears-Ervin of Chicago, Jazmin J. Robinson of Chicago, La Shawn K. Ford of Chicago, Felix Tello of Glenview, Reed Showalter of Chicago, Rory Hoskins of Forest Park, Jason Friedman of Chicago, Kina Collins of Chicago and David Ehrlich of Chicago and Thomas Fisher of Chicago have filed to run as Democrats and Chad Koppie of Gilberts and Patricia “P Rae” Easley of Chicago filed to run as Republicans.
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. Neil Khot of Hoffman Estates, Kevin B. Morrison of Mount Prospect, Junaid Ahmed of South Barrington, Ryan Vetticad of South Barrington, Melissa L. Bean of Barrington, Yasmeen Bankole of Hanover Park, Dan Tully of Carol Stream and Sanjyot Dunnug of Des Plaines have filed as Democrats. Mark Rice of Arlington Heights, Jennifer Davis of Huntley, Kevin Ake of Elk Grove Village and Herbert Hebein of Chicago have filed as Republicans.
District 9: Jan Schakowsky, a Democrat representing parts of Cook, Lake and McHenry, is not seeking reelection after being in office since 1999. The candidates who filed as Democrats so far include: Phil Andrew of Wilmette, Kat Abughazaleh of Chicago, Mike Simmons of Chicago, Laura Fine of Glenview, Bruce Leon of Chicago, Sam Polan of Wilmette, Nick Pyati of Evanston, Bushra Amiwala of Skokie, Justin Ford of Chicago, Daniel Biss of Evanston, Bethany Johnson of Evanston, Jeff Cohen of Evanston, Howard Rosenblum of Skokie and Hoan Huynh of Chicago. On the Republican side, John Elleson of Arlington Heights, Paul Friedman of Chicago and Dongbo Mark Su of Chicago filed.
District 10: Brad Schneider, a Democrat representing parts of Cook, Lake and McHenry, has filed to run for reelection. Thomas Rudd of Lake Forest, John Minarcik of Zion and Morgan Coghill of Mundelein have also filed as Democrats and Carl Lambrecht of Highland Park has filed as a Republican.
District 11: Bill Foster, a Democrat representing parts of Boone, Cook, DeKalb, DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry and Will, has filed to run for reelection. Elburn Village President Jeff Walter, Michael Pierce of Naperville, Charlie Kim of Aurora and Tedora Brown of Palos Park have filed as Republicans.
District 12: Mike Bost, a Republican representing the southern part of Illinois, has filed to run for reelection. Julie Fortier of O’Fallon has filed as a Democrat.
District 13: Nikki Budzinski, a Democrat representing the east side of St. Louis into parts of central Illinois, has filed to run for reelection. Jeff Wilson of Mahomet and Joshua Loyd of Virden have filed as Republicans and Dylan Blaha and Emily Lux, both of Urbana, as Democrats.
District 14: Lauren Underwood, a Democrat representing parts of Bureau, DeKalb, Kane, Kendall, La Salle, Putnam and Will counties, has filed to run for reelection. Gary Vician of Naperville and James T. “Jim” Marter of Oswego have filed to run as Republicans.
District 15: Mary Miller, a Republican who represents much of central Illinois, has filed to run for reelection. Judy Bowlby of Dawson and Ryan D. Tebrugge of Springfield also filed to run as Republicans and Jennifer Todd of Edwardsville, Randy Raley of Highland, Paul Davis of Collinsville and Kyle Nudo of Glen Carbon have filed to run as Democrats.
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, has filed to run for reelection. Paul Nolley of Roscoe has filed to run as a Democrat and John Kitover of Chicago as a Republican.
District 17: Eric Sorensen, a Democrat representing Carroll and Whiteside counties as well as other counties in northwestern Illinois, has filed to run for reelection. Dillan Vancil of Gladstone and Julie Bickelhaupt of Mount Carroll has filed as Republicans and Montez Soliz as a Democrat.

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, has filed to run for reelection. Ahmed Karrar of Orland Park and Kenny Williams of Chicago also filed to run as Democrats and Brian Skala of Crestwood as a Republican.
District 15: Napoleon Harris III, a Democrat representing Cook, Kankakee and Will counties, has filed to run for reelection. Kenneth “Ken” Henderson of Dixmoor filed to run as a Republican.
District 17: Elgie R. Sims Jr., a Democrat representing Cook, Kankakee and Will counties, has filed to run for reelection. Frederick L. Walls of Crete filed to run as a Republican.
District 21: Laura Ellman, a Democrat representing DuPage and Will counties, has filed to run for reelection. Julie Berkowicz of Naperville has filed to run as a Republican.
District 23: Suzy Glowiak Hilton, a Democrat representing DuPage and Cook counties, has filed to run for reelection.
District 24: Seth Lewis, a Republican representing DuPage and Cook counties, has filed to run for reelection. Benjamin “Ben” McAdams of Bloomingdale has filed as a Democrat and Linda Z. Polacek of Lombard as a Republican.
District 26: Darby A. Hills, a Republican representing Cook, Kane, Lake and McHenry counties, has filed to run for reelection. Hills was appointed in February 2025 to fill out the remainder of Dan McConchie’s term. Nabeela Syed of Inverness has filed as a Democrat.
District 32: Craig Wilcox, a Republican representing Lake and McHenry counties, has filed to run for reelection. Karen Battaglia of Antioch has filed to run as a Democrat.
District 33: Don DeWitte, a Republican representing Kane, DuPage and McHenry counties, is not running for reelection. Michele Clark of Algonquin and Satnaam Singh Mago of Wayne have filed to run as Democrats and Danielle Penman of St. Charles, Jessica Breugelmans of Geneva and Cody Holt of Elgin have filed as Republicans.
District 35: Dave Syverson, a Republican representing Boone, DeKalb, Kane, McHenry and Winnebago counties, has filed to run for reelection. Sarah B. Mertens of Crystal Lake filed as a Democrat.
District 38: Sue Rezin, a Republican representing Bureau, DeKalb, Grundy, Kendall, La Salle and Will counties, has filed to run for reelection. Ernie R. Marcelain of Yorkville has filed to run as a Democrat.
District 39: Don Harmon, a Democrat representing DuPage and Cook counties, has filed to run for reelection.
District 41: Senate Minority Leader John F. Curran, a Republican representing Cook, DuPage and Will counties, has filed to run for reelection.
District 42: Linda Holmes, a Democrat representing DuPage, Kane, Kendall and Will counties, has filed to run for reelection. Justin H.S. Breaux of Aurora also filed as a Democrat and Edgardo “Eddie” Perez of Aurora filed as a Republican.
District 45: Andrew S. Chesney, a Republican representing Boone, Carroll, DeKalb, Jo Daviess, Ogle, Stephenson and Winnebago counties, has filed to run for reelection. Joshua T. Atkinson of Freeport has also filed as a Republican and Joseph H. “Joe” Berning of Galena has filed as a Democrat.
District 53: Chris Balkema, a Republican representing Bureau, Grundy, La Salle, Livingston, Putnam and Will counties, among others, has filed to run again.

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, has filed to run for reelection. Anabel Mendoza has filed to run as a Democrat.
District 27: Justin Slaughter, a Democrat representing Cook and Will counties, has filed to run for reelection
District 29: Thaddeus Jones, a Democrat representing Cook, Kankakee and Will counties, has filed to run for reelection.
District 34: Nicholas K. Smith, a Democrat representing Cook, Kankakee and Will counties, is not running for reelection. Cleopatra “Cleo” Cowley of Chicago and Aja Kearney of Chicago, and Antwon T. Russell of Burnham filed to run as Democrats.
District 37: Patrick Sheehan, a Republican representing Cook and Will counties, has filed to run for reelection.
District 38: Debbie Meyers-Martin, a Democrat representing Cook and Will counties, has filed to run for reelection.
District 41: Janet Yang Rohr, a Democrat representing DuPage and Will counties, has filed to run for reelection. Ajay Gupta of Naperville has filed to run as a Republican.
District 42: Terra Costa Howard, a Democrat representing DuPage County, is running for reelection. Margaret A. DeLaRosa of Glen Ellyn and Lynn LaPlante of Glen Ellyn have also filed as Democrats and Stephanie W. Trussell of Lisle filed as a Republican.
District 43: Anna Moeller, a Democrat representing Cook and Kane counties, has filed to run for reelection.
District 45: Martha “Marti” Deuter, a Democrat representing Cook and DuPage counties, has filed to run for reelection. Gina Parrilli of Westmont has filed to run as a Republican.
District 46: Diane Blair-Sherlock, a Democrat representing DuPage County, has filed to run for reelection. Pedro Jovany Mendoza of Villa Park filed to run as a Republican.
District 47: Amy L. Grant, a Republican representing DuPage County, is not running for reelection. Robert A. Vrankovich of Carol Stream has filed to run as a Republican and Erica Bray-Parker as a Democrat.
District 48: Jennifer Sanalitro, a Republican representing Cook and DuPage counties, has filed to run for reelection. Amanda Zahorak of Itasca has filed to run as a Democrat.
District 49: Maura Hirschauer, a Democrat representing Cook, Kane and DuPage counties, has filed to run for reelection. John Paul Augustynowicz of Warrenville has filed as a Republican.
District 50: Barbara Hernandez, a Democrat representing Kane and DuPage counties, has filed to run for reelection.
District 52: Martin McLaughlin, a Republican representing Cook, Kane, Lake and McHenry counties, has filed to run for reelection. Erin Chan Ding of South Barrington and Maria Peterson of North Barrington have filed to run as Democrats.
District 56: Michelle Mussman, a Democrat representing Cook and DuPage counties, is running for reelection. Peter R. Dombrowski of Schaumburg and Edward “Ed” Lapinski of Des Plaines filed to run as Republicans.
District 63: Steven Reick, a Republican representing McHenry County, has filed to run for reelection. Brian D. Meyers of Crystal Lake filed to run as a Democrat.
District 64: Tom Weber, a Republican representing McHenry and Lake counties, has filed to run for reelection. AJ Johnson of Lake Villa has filed as a Democrat.
District 65: Dan Ugaste, a Republican representing DuPage and Kane counties, has filed to run for reelection. Ricky Rivard of St. Charles has filed to run as a Democrat.
District 66: Suzanne M. Ness, a Democrat representing Kane and McHenry counties, has filed to run for reelection. Laurie Parman of Sleepy Hollow filed as a Republican.
District 69: Joe C. Sosnowski, a Republican representing Boone, McHenry and Winnebago counties, has filed to run for reelection. Peter Janko of Marengo has filed as a Democrat.
District 70: Jeff Keicher, a Republican representing DeKalb, Kane and McHenry counties, has filed to run for reelection. Veronica Garcia-Martinez of Cortland has filed to run as a Democrat.
District 73: Ryan Spain, a Republican representing Bureau, Henry, Lee and Whiteside, among other counties, has filed to run for reelection. Nicole Dopler of Rapids City has filed to run as a Democrat.
District 74: Bradley Fritts, a Republican representing DeKalb, La Salle, Lee, Ogle and Whiteside counties, has filed to run for reelection. Nolan Kemp of Dixon has filed to run as a Democrat.
District 75: Jed Davis, a Republican representing DeKalb, Grundy, Kendall, La Salle and Will counties, has filed to run for reelection. Caroline McCree of Yorkville has filed to run as a Democrat.
District 76: Amy “Murri” Briel, a Democrat representing Bureau, DeKalb and La Salle counties, has filed to run for reelection. Crystal Loughran of Peru and Liz Bishop of La Salle have filed to run as a Republican.
District 77: Norma Hernandez, a Democrat representing Cook and DuPage counties, has filed to run for reelection. Anthony Airdo of Melrose Park has filed to run as a Republican.
District 79: Jackie Haas, a Republican representing Cook, Grundy, Kankakee and Will counties, has filed to run for reelection. Robert S. Ellington-Snipes of Kankakee has filed to run as a Democrat.
District 80: Anthony DeLuca, a Democrat representing Cook and Will counties, has filed to run for reelection. Adam M. Beaty of Braidwood filed to run as a Republican.
District 81: Anne Stava, a Democrat representing DuPage County, has filed to run for reelection. Laura Hois of Downers Grove filed as a Republican.
District 82: Nicole La Ha, a Republican representing Cook and DuPage counties, has filed to run for reelection.
District 83: Matt Hanson, a Democrat representing Kane and Kendall counties, has filed to run for reelection. Jesse Rodriguez of Aurora has filed to run as a Republican.
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. Saba Haider and Jared Ploger, both of Aurora, have filed to run as Democrats and Brian Scopa of Naperville has filed to run as a Republican.
District 85: Dagmara “Dee” Avelar, a Democrat representing DuPage and Will counties, has filed to run for reelection. Chris Metcalfe of Bolingbrook has filed as a Republican.
District 86: Lawrence “Larry” Walsh Jr., a Democrat representing Will County, has filed to run for reelection.
District 89: House Minority Leader Tony M. McCombie, a Republican representing Boone, Carroll, DeKalb, Jo Daviess, Ogle, Stephenson and Winnebago counties, filed to run for reelection. Victoria Onorato of Byron also filed to run as a Republican.
District 97: Harry Benton, a Democrat representing Kendall and Will counties, has filed to run for reelection. Gabby Shanahan of Joliet has filed as a Republican.
District 98: Natalie A. Manley, a Democrat representing Will County, has filed to run for reelection. Nona Parker of Joliet filed to run as a Republican.
District 105: Dennis Tipsword, a Republican representing Bureau, La Salle, Livingston and Putnam, among other counties, is not running for reelection. Tim Ruestman of Kappa has filed to run as a Republican and Lisa Diana Tejeda of Lowpoint filed as a Democrat.
District 106: Jason R. Bunting, a Republican representing Grundy, La Salle, Livingston and Will, among other counties, has filed to run 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. Judith C. Rice of River Forest and Christopher Swann of Chicago filed to run as Democrats.

The Third Appellate District sits in Ottawa and includes Bureau, La Salle, DuPage, Will, Grundy, Kankakee, and Iroquois counties. Margaret “Peggy” O’Connell of Lisle and John Pavich of Frankfort has filed to run as Democrats and Jason A. Helland of Mazon and Mark Senak of Glen Ellyn has filed as Republicans.

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. Amy E. Sholar of Godfrey filed to run as a Republican.

Nearly 30 vacancies are up in Cook County. The candidates include:

Five at-large seats: Linda Sackey of Chicago and Luz Maria Toledo of Palos Hills have filed to run as Democrats for the Cobbs vacancy. Michael Cabonargi of Wilmette and Ashonta C. Rice of Chicago have filed as Democrats for the Coghlan vacancy. Ava George Stewart of Chicago has filed as a Democrat for the Hooks vacancy and D’Anthony “Tony” Thedford of Chicago as a Democrat for the Karkula vacancy. Steven Q. McKenzie of Chicago has filed as a Democrat for the Burke vacancy.
Two on the 1st Subcircuit: Radiance Ward and Natalie L., Howse, both of Chicago, have filed as Democrats for the Balanoff vacancy and Ashley Greer Shambley, Tiffany N. Brooks and Ginger Odom, all of Chicago, as Democrats for the Walker vacancy.
Two on the 3rd Subcircuit: John Carroll of Riverside has filed as a Democrat for the Murphy vacancy and Martin Douglas Reggi of Cicero and Rachel Marrello of Riverside as Democrats for the Sherlock vacancy.
Two on the 8th Subcircuit: Kathleen Cunniff Ori, Garson Fischer and Elizabeth Christina Dibler, all of Chicago, filed as Democrats for the Gamrath vacancy and Dan Balanoff, Lester Finkle and Katherine Carole Morrison, all of Chicago, as Democrats for the Mikva vacancy.
Two on the 11th Subcircuit: John R. Carrozza, a Democrat from Elmwood Park, and Jarrett Knox, a Democrat from Oak Park, filed for the Meyerson vacancy, and Kim Przekota, a Democrat from Park Ridge, filed for the Roberts vacancy.
Four on the 13th Subcircuit: Robert “Bob” Groebner, a Democrat from Inverness, filed for the Curry Jr. vacancy, Brittany Michelle Pedersen, a Democrat from Elgin, for the Martin C. Kelley vacancy, and Dan Naranjo, a Democrat from Barrington, for the O’Malley vacancy. William F. Kelley of Schaumburg has filed as a Democrat for the Thomas J. Kelley vacancy.
Two on the 16th Subcircuit: Julian Sanchez Crozier, a Democrat from Chicago, filed for the Callie L. Baird seat, and Jessica Karina Veleza Democrat from Chicago, for the Patricia Mendoza seat.
Two on the 17th Subcircuit: Meridth Hammer, a Democrat from Chicago, and Natalia Moore, a Democrat from Calumet City, filed for the Lloyd J. Brooks seat. Bianca B. Brown, a Democrat from Lynwood, and Amari Dawson of Homewood and André Thapedi of Chicago filed as Democrats for the James R. Carroll seat.
Two on the 18th Subcircuit: Juan Ponce de Leon of Des Plaines and Lynn Terese Palac of Arlington Heights filed as Democrats for the Jeffrey G. Chrones seat and Sam Bae of Mount Prospect has filed as a Democrat for the Frank J. Andreou seat.
Two on the 19th Subcircuit: Sara McGann, a Democrat from Chicago, filed for the John A. Fairman seat, and Monica Somerville, Dave Condron and Jessica Megan Scheller, all Democrats from Chicago, and John Harkins, a Democrat from Palos Heights, for the Michael J. Kane seat.
Two of the 20th Subcircuit: Jon Stromsta and Belle Katubig, both of Chicago, filed as Democrats for the Stephanie K. Miller seat and Michael J. Zink, also of Chicago, as a Democrat for the David E. Haracz seat.

More than 20 more seats are up across the rest of Illinois:

2nd Circuit, one in Edwards County, one in Richland and one in Wayne: Chelsey E. Clark of Olney and Mark A. McCormick of Richland both filed as Republicans for the Vaughn vacancy; Matthew E. Vaughn as a Republican for the Molt vacancy; and Brian T Shinkle of Browns for the Valentine v
3rd Circuit, which includes Madison and Bond counties, on the 2nd Subcircuit: Patrick G. King has filed as a Republican to run for the Stobbs vacancy on the 2nd Subcircuit.
4th Circuit, which includes nine counties in central Illinois: Phillip Givens of Louisville, Brenda Mathis of Ramsey, Aaron C. Jones of Effingham and Wesley A. Gozia of Salem filed as Republicans.
8th Circuit, two at-large seats, serving eight counties in western Illinois: Christopher W. Pratt of Quincy and Tim Bass of Paloma filed to run as Republicans for the Adrian vacancy, Gabriel “Gabe” Grosboll as a Republican for the Lannerd vacancy and Scott P. McClintock as a Republican for the Standard vacancy.
9th Circuit, one at-large seat and one in Warren County: Carissa Ann Bryant of Sciota filed to run as a Republican.
10th Circuit, one in Peoria County: Timothy J. Cusack of Peoria has filed as a Republican and Michael P. Vespa of Peoria as a Democrat.
11th Circuit, one at-large, one in Livingston County and one in Woodford County: Gregory Michael Minger of Eureka filed as a Republican for the Feeney III vacancy.
12th Circuit, three total seats in the Will County circuit, one each in the 1st, 3rd and 5th subcircuits: John Paul Ivec of Plainfield has filed to run a Republican for the Carlson vacancy in the 1st Subcircuit and Amy Christiansen of Aurora as a Democrat for that vacancy. Sonni Choi Williams of Lockport filed to run as a Democrat for the Anderson vacancy on the 3rd Subcircuit. Erin O’Brien of Frankford and Art Smigielski of Homer Glen filed as Republicans for the Petrungaro vacancy in the 5th Subcircuit.
13th Circuit, one at-large member for the circuit, which includes La Salle, Grundy and Bureau counties: Melissa Olivero of Peru filed as a Democrat and Michelle A. Vescogni of Peru as a Republican.
14th Circuit, one in Rock Island County: Tionn Fambro Carter of Moline filed to run as a Democrat.
15th Circuit, one in Jo Daviess County and one in Stephenson County: John D. Hay has filed to run as a Republican for the Ward vacancy and Karla M. Niemann of Freeport and Judd Thruman of McConnell as Republicans for the Hauser vacancy.
17th Circuit in Winnebago and Boone counties, on the 1st and 2nd subcircuits: Paul Carpenter of Rockford and Erin C. Hannigan of Rockford filed to run as Democrats in the 1st Subcircuit and Scott Robinson of Rockton as a Republican in the 2nd Subcircuit.
18th Circuit in Winnebago and Boone counties, on the 4th and 5th subcircuits: Christina Kye and Michael W. Fleming, both of Elmhurst, filed to run as a Democrat for the Wilson vacancy on the 4th Subcircuit and Terra Costa Howard of Glen Ellyn as a Democrat in the 5th Subcircuit.

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 referndums.