Illinois 2026 Primary Elections: Juliana Stratton Wins Democratic Senate Nomination, Darren Bailey Secures GOP Gubernatorial Bid in Key Rematch

Illinois voters participated in the 2026 primary elections on March 17, deciding key races including the gubernatorial contest, the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by longtime Senator Dick Durbin, and several U.S. House seats. Polls closed at 7 p.m., and as votes were tallied, projections from CBS News and NBC News provided insight into the outcomes of these competitive races.

In the Democratic primary for the U.S. Senate seat, Illinois Lieutenant Governor Juliana Stratton emerged as the projected winner. With approximately 80% of the vote counted, Stratton led the field with 39.4%, followed by U.S. Representatives Raja Krishnamoorthi at 33.6% and Robin Kelly at 18.4%. Stratton will face Republican Don Tracy, an attorney and former Illinois Republican Party chairman, who was projected to win the GOP Senate primary. Tracy’s platform emphasizes affordable energy, lowering drug and insurance costs, reducing government spending, and border security.

The gubernatorial primary set the stage for a rematch between incumbent Governor JB Pritzker and Republican challenger Darren Bailey. Bailey secured the Republican nomination with nearly 50% of the vote, while Pritzker ran unopposed in the Democratic primary. The two previously faced off in 2022, when Pritzker defeated Bailey by approximately 13 percentage points. Bailey’s main Republican opponent, Ted Dabrowski, garnered about 31.7% of the vote.

Several Democratic congressional primaries in the Chicago area were closely contested and highlighted ideological divides within the party, particularly over Israel policy. In the 8th Congressional District, former Representative Melissa Bean won the Democratic primary, marking a political comeback more than a decade after losing her seat in 2010. Bean’s victory came amid significant outside spending exceeding $4 million from groups such as Elect Chicago Women and Think Big, which supported more moderate candidates. Bean’s main opponent, Junaid Ahmed, was backed by progressive figures including Senators Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren and criticized Israeli policies more sharply.

In the 9th District, Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss led a tight race against journalist Kat Abughazaleh, with about 90% of votes counted. This contest also featured heavy outside spending, with super PACs supporting state Senator Laura Fine, the moderate candidate. The candidates’ stances on Israel were a central issue: Biss supports a Palestinian state while maintaining a special U.S.-Israel relationship, Abughazaleh called Israel’s actions in Gaza genocide, and Fine defended Israel’s government and opposed additional conditions on aid.

The 7th District Democratic primary remained close, with State Representative La Shawn Ford narrowly leading Chicago Treasurer Melissa Conyears-Ervin. Conyears-Ervin received substantial backing from the United Democracy Project, a super PAC aligned with the American Israel Political Affairs Committee, which spent over $2 million to support her campaign. Ford was endorsed by retiring Representative Danny Davis.

Other notable results included Cook County Commissioner Donna Miller winning the Democratic primary in the 2nd District, ending former Representative Jesse Jackson Jr.’s attempt at a political comeback, and U.S. Representative Brad Schneider securing the Democratic nomination in the 10th District. The primary outcomes reflect ongoing shifts and debates within Illinois’ political landscape as candidates prepare for the general elections later this year.