What to know about Illinois’ 2026 elections

Statewide and congressional races

Illinois voters will elect one U.S. senator to a six-year term and choose officeholders for governor, secretary of state and attorney general on Nov. 3, 2026. All 17 of the state’s U.S. House districts will also hold elections because House members serve two-year terms.

NBC News lists Democrat Juliana Stratton and Republican Don Tracy in the U.S. Senate contest. Stratton is Illinois’ current lieutenant governor.

In the governor’s race, Democratic incumbent JB Pritzker and Republican Darren Bailey are listed as candidates. For secretary of state, Democratic incumbent Alexi Giannoulias and Republican Diane Harris are listed. The attorney general contest includes Democratic incumbent Kwame Raoul and Republican Robert Fioretti.

The statewide offices have separate primary contests before the November general election. The congressional elections will determine who represents each Illinois district in the next U.S. House.

Illinois’ recent presidential vote

Past presidential results offer context about statewide voting, but they do not determine the outcome of midterm or state contests. Democratic presidential candidates carried Illinois in each of the three most recent presidential elections.

In 2024, Kamala Harris received 54.4% of the Illinois vote, while Donald Trump received 43.5%. Harris’ margin was 10.9 percentage points.

In 2020, the Democratic presidential nominee received 57.5%, compared with 40.6% for the Republican nominee. In 2016, the Democratic nominee received 56%, while the Republican nominee received 38.9%.

Illinois had 19 electoral votes in 2024. Electoral votes apply to presidential elections, not the statewide and congressional offices on the 2026 ballot.