March 17–18, 2026 — Chicago, Illinois — ELECTION NIGHT RESULTS
Illinois voters went to the polls on Tuesday, March 17 — and delivered a dramatic night of results that will shape the 2026 midterm elections in one of America's most politically significant states. Lt. Governor Juliana Stratton won the Democratic primary for Dick Durbin's U.S. Senate seat — defeating two sitting members of Congress in the process. Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss won the wildly-watched Democratic primary for Illinois' 9th Congressional District — beating viral social media journalist Kat Abughazaleh in the most-watched House primary of the night. And Governor JB Pritzker is set for a rematch with Republican Darren Bailey — the same man he defeated by 13 points in 2022. Here is the complete Illinois primary night breakdown.
🗳️ U.S. SENATE: Stratton Wins Dick Durbin's Seat
WINNER: Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton (D)
CBS News and NBC News both projected Illinois Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton has won the Democratic primary for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Dick Durbin, who is retiring. Durbin has held that Senate seat since 1997.
With 80% of the vote in, Stratton was leading with 39.4% of the vote, Krishnamoorthi was in second with 33.6%, and Kelly was in third with 18.4%.
📊 Democratic Senate Primary Results:
- 🥇 Juliana Stratton (Lt. Governor) — ~39.4% ✅ WINNER
- 🥈 Raja Krishnamoorthi (U.S. Rep., IL-8) — ~33.6%
- 🥉 Robin Kelly (U.S. Rep., IL-2) — ~18.4%
- Others — remaining %
Stratton secured the endorsement of Governor JB Pritzker — a major boost in a crowded 10-candidate field. Krishnamoorthi was vying to become the second ever South Asian to serve in the US Senate, while either Stratton or Kelly would be just the sixth Black woman in US history to be a senator.
Stratton now advances to face Republican Don Tracy — an attorney and former chairman of the Illinois Republican Party — in the November general election. Whichever Democrat wins their primary will be expected to take the seat in the deeply blue state.
🗳️ ILLINOIS 9TH DISTRICT: Biss Defeats Abughazaleh in National Spotlight Race
WINNER: Daniel Biss (D) — Evanston Mayor
CBS News projects Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss has won the Democratic primary for Illinois' 9th Congressional District. The race — which drew national attention for its clash between establishment Democrats and progressive digital-native politics — ended with Biss defeating viral journalist and TikTok star Kat Abughazaleh, who had been closing the gap in final polls.
The 9th District race was the most nationally watched House primary of the 2026 cycle — featuring:
- 🏙️ Daniel Biss — Evanston Mayor, progressive, endorsed by retiring Rep. Jan Schakowsky
- 📱 Kat Abughazaleh — Palestinian-American journalist, TikTok star, anti-war progressive, backed by Justice Democrats and Rep. Ro Khanna — was hit by a $1 million dark money campaign from AIPAC-linked groups
- 🏛️ Laura Fine — Illinois State Senator, moderate, AIPAC-backed
The race attracted attention for its clash over the Iran war, AIPAC spending, and whether digital-native candidates can translate online followings into votes. Four major Democratic primaries were underway in the Chicago area after longtime incumbents decided to leave their seats, and the races highlighted many of the divides in the party — on Israel, campaign finance, immigration, how to take on the Trump administration and more.
Biss advances to what will be a safe Democratic seat in November — the 9th District covers the North Chicago suburbs including Evanston, Skokie, Wilmette, and Glenview.
🗳️ GOVERNOR: Pritzker vs Bailey Rematch Set for November
The 2026 Illinois primary results for governor have set up a rematch between Gov. JB Pritzker and his 2022 Republican challenger Darren Bailey, after CBS News projects Bailey has won the GOP primary. Pritzker beat Bailey by about 13 points in the 2022 gubernatorial election.
Pritzker, the billionaire Democrat who has been eyeing a potential 2028 presidential run, ran unopposed in the Democratic primary. The November election comes ahead of a potential 2028 presidential run for Pritzker.
Bailey — a conservative downstate Republican who lost to Pritzker by double digits in 2022 — will attempt a comeback in a state that has been trending away from Republicans for years. Political analysts gave Bailey long odds heading into November.
🗳️ OTHER KEY HOUSE RACES
Illinois 2nd Congressional District
WINNER: Donna Miller (D) — Cook County Commissioner
Cook County commissioner Donna Miller has won the Democratic primary in Illinois' 2nd Congressional District, NBC News projects. She defeated former U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. — the son of civil rights leader Jesse Jackson Sr. — who was attempting a political comeback after a criminal conviction. Cook County Commissioner Donna Miller held an early lead in the Democratic primary for the Illinois 2nd Congressional District, with 41.3% of the vote. Former U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. was in second place with 33.5%.
Illinois 7th Congressional District
LEADING: La Shawn Ford (D) — Illinois State Rep.
In the first returns in the Democratic primary for the 7th Congressional District, Illinois state Rep. La Shawn Ford was leading the 13-candidate field with 26.8% of the vote. Ford won the endorsement of incumbent Danny Davis, who is retiring. Chicago City Treasurer Melissa Conyears-Ervin was in second place with 17.1% of the vote. Kina Collins, who ran twice against Davis in past elections, was in third place with 11%. (Race not yet called with only 12% of vote in.)
Illinois 8th Congressional District
WINNER: Melissa Bean (D)
Melissa Bean has won the Democratic primary for the 8th Congressional District, the seat formerly held by Senate candidate Raja Krishnamoorthi. Bean advances to a safe Democratic seat in November.
Illinois 1st Congressional District
Republican WINNER: Christian Maxwell
Christian Maxwell is projected to win the Republican nomination for the 1st Congressional District. Jonathan Jackson ran unopposed for the Democratic nomination.
🗳️ COOK COUNTY RACES
Cook County Board President: Four-term incumbent Toni Preckwinkle holds a significant lead, with 63.4% of the vote.
Cook County Assessor: Cook County Assessor Fritz Kaegi conceded to challenger Pat Hynes on Tuesday night. Kaegi's loss ends his two-term run as assessor — Pat Hynes advances as the Democratic nominee.
📊 What Tonight's Results Mean for November
The Senate Race: Stratton vs Tracy
Stratton will be the overwhelming favorite in November. Illinois has not elected a Republican to statewide office since 2014, and the Senate seat has been held by Dick Durbin — one of the most reliable Democratic votes in the Senate — for 29 years. The real question is not whether Stratton wins in November but by how much — and what it says about Democratic enthusiasm heading into the 2026 midterm cycle.
The Governor's Race: Pritzker vs Bailey
Pritzker remains the prohibitive favorite. He beat Bailey by 13 points just four years ago — and Illinois has been getting bluer with each election cycle. Bailey's path to victory would require an extraordinary collapse of Democratic enthusiasm combined with a massive swing among suburban voters — neither of which looks likely given the current political environment.
The 9th District: What Biss's Win Tells Democrats
Biss's victory over Abughazaleh was the most scrutinized result of the night — and the most consequential for the broader 2026 Democratic coalition. AIPAC and its allies spent approximately $1 million to defeat Abughazaleh — and succeeded. But the margin, if close, will fuel debate about whether progressive anti-war, pro-Palestinian candidates can compete in Democratic primaries even with massive establishment spending against them. Full final returns are still coming in.
🌍 The Iran War Factor
The Illinois primaries took place on Day 18 of the U.S.-Israel war against Iran — and the conflict was a major factor in several races, particularly the 9th District, where Abughazaleh had been one of the loudest anti-war voices in any congressional primary in the country.
The results will be closely parsed by both parties for signals about how the Iran war is affecting Democratic primary voters. Stratton's Senate victory — she was seen as more hawkish than Kelly and more moderate than Krishnamoorthi — suggests Democratic primary voters in Illinois are not prioritizing anti-war positioning above other factors. But the closeness of the 9th District race will be cited by progressives as evidence that anti-war candidates can compete even with massive spending against them.
📊 Key Results Summary — Illinois Primary March 17, 2026
| Race | Winner | Party | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. Senate (D) | Juliana Stratton | Democrat | ✅ Projected |
| U.S. Senate (R) | Don Tracy | Republican | ✅ Projected |
| Governor (D) | JB Pritzker | Democrat | ✅ Unopposed |
| Governor (R) | Darren Bailey | Republican | ✅ Projected |
| IL-9 (D) | Daniel Biss | Democrat | ✅ Projected |
| IL-2 (D) | Donna Miller | Democrat | ✅ Projected |
| IL-8 (D) | Melissa Bean | Democrat | ✅ Projected |
| IL-7 (D) | La Shawn Ford | Democrat | ⏳ Leading, not called |
| IL-1 (R) | Christian Maxwell | Republican | ✅ Projected |
| Cook County Assessor | Pat Hynes | Democrat | ✅ Kaegi conceded |
📡 Sources: CBS News Chicago (March 17–18, 2026), NBC News Decision Desk (March 17), CNN Politics (March 17), ABC7 Chicago (March 18), Chicago Tribune (March 17), STLPR (March 17) — all results as of early Wednesday March 18, 2026. Some races still being counted.
🔄 Last updated: March 18, 2026 — 2:30 a.m. CT. Some races still being counted. Check back for final results.
🔖 Tags: Illinois Primary 2026, Juliana Stratton, Daniel Biss, Kat Abughazaleh, JB Pritzker, Darren Bailey, Dick Durbin Seat, Raja Krishnamoorthi, Illinois 9th District, 2026 Midterms
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