While Americans react to the national blue wave, we're digging into local midterm results.
Chicago had a gloriously warm Election Day with turnout around 35% as of Tuesday afternoon — several polling sites ran out of paper ballots. Early voting was also up nearly 30% from the previous midterms.
Here's how it all shook it out.
The U.S. Senate Race
Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton will replace retiring longtime U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, beating former state Republican GOP chairman Don Tracy with 61% of the vote. Previously, Stratton won a crowded primary to become the Democrat on the ticket.
- Making history: Stratton becomes the second Black woman from Illinois elected to the U.S. Senate, and her arrival will mark the first time three Black women are serving at the same time.
U.S. Congressional Races
Following particularly competitive primaries, Democrats swept the five open U.S. congressional seats:
- In the 2nd District, Cook County commissioner and Democrat Donna Miller won with about 73% of the vote, beating Republican Michael Noack to succeed U.S. Rep. Robin Kelly. Kelly stepped down to run for Senate.
- In the 4th District, retiring Rep. Jesus "Chuy" Garcia will be replaced by his hand-picked successor, Democrat Patty Garcia (no relation). Following a controversial primary bid, Patty gained more than 70% of the vote in the general election, beating one Republican and multiple independents.
- In the 7th District, Democrat State Rep. La Shawn Ford (8th) beat Republican Chad Koppie to replace retiring U.S. Rep. Danny Davis, earning 89% of the vote.
- In the 8th District, Democrat Melissa Bean won back her old seat after 16 years, beating Republican Jennifer Davis with almost 65% of the vote. Incumbent U.S. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi gave his seat up to run for Senate.
- In the 9th District, Evanston mayor and Democrat Daniel Biss won 76% of the vote, beating Republican John Elleson to replace retiring U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky.
- Incumbents won all other Illinois districts. Among them: U.S. Rep. Mike Quigley (5th), who will be on the ballot again in February, as he runs for mayor.
The Gubernatorial Race
Gov. JB Pritzker won a historic third term — Illinois' first Democratic governor to do so — with almost 60% of the vote, beating Republican Darren Bailey for the second time. Pritzker ran with Deputy Gov. Christian Mitchell as his lieutenant governor, as Stratton set out for the Senate. Bailey ran alongside Cook County Republican Party chair Aaron Del Mar.
- No surprise: Pritzker outspent Bailey 25-to-1. Thanks to those deep pockets, he’s become something of a kingmaker in Illinois and beyond.
The School Board Race
Chicago’s first-ever fully elected school board will include 20 members, plus a new board president.
- Jessica Biggs, a former principal and current board member, won almost 49% of the vote, beating the Chicago Teachers Union’s pick Hilario Dominguez and attorney Victor P. Henderson.
- The presidential race was competitive, as all three candidates carried baggage. Biggs was fired from the school she led in 2018, but she was eventually backed by the Service Employees International Union and billionaire Michael Sacks.
- The school board itself will include Margie B. Luczak (District 1A); Claudia Peralta (1B); incumbent Ebony DeBerry (2A); incumbent Deborah “Debby” Pope (2B); incumbent Norma Rios Sierra (3A); incumbent Karen Zaccor (4A); incumbent Ellen Rosenfeld (4B, uncontested); LaPamela Williams (5A); incumbent Michilla “Kyla” Blaise (5B); Isaiah White (6a); Brittany B. Kimble (6B); incumbent Emma Lozano (7A); incumbent Yesenia Lopez (7B); incumbent Angel Gutierrez (8A, unopposed); Juan Ignacio Gonzalez (8B); Brittany R. Bailey Preston (9A, unopposed); incumbent Therese Boyle (9B); incumbent Che “Rhymefest” Smith (10A); and Connie Anderson (10B). In District 3B, Jason Dónes and incumbent Carlos Rivas Jr. remain neck and neck.
- A split board: Of all 20 electees, seven or eight were endorsed by Common Ground Collective, a new anti-CTU group also funded by Sacks. Ten were supported by CTU.
State Races
Many positions were retained by Democrat incumbents:
- Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias won a second term, beating Republican Diane Harris with more than 64% of the vote. Meanwhile, he continues running for mayor.
- Attorney General Kwame Raoul won a third term, beating Republican Bob Fioretti with more than 61% of the vote.
- Treasurer Mike Frerichs beat Republican Max Solomon won almost 62% of the vote, landing a fourth term.
- A new candidate: Democrat Margaret Croke won her bid for comptroller, as incumbent Susana Mendoza steps down to run for mayor. Croke beat Republican Bryan Drew with almost 61% of the vote.
- For the state House and Senate, view winners here.
County Races
Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle has led for 16 years — and the Democratic reign continues.
- Preckwinkle retained her seat against Libertarian Michael Murphy, winning a fourth term with more than 79% of the vote.
- In the assessor’s race, Democrat Pat Hynes beat Libertarian Nico Tsatsoulis with almost 86% of the vote. (Hynes ousted incumbent Fritz Kaegi in the primary.)
- In the sheriff’s race, Democrat and 20-year incumbent Tom Dart beat previous competitor Libertarian Brad Sandefur, winning almost 86% of the vote.
- The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District retained its incumbent Democrats on the ballot: Cameron Davis, who was running unopposed in a special election, plus Precious Brady-Davis, Eira Corral Sepulveda, and Beth McElroy Kirkwood.
- Meanwhile, Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas (also running for mayor), Cook County Clerk Monica Gordon, and multiple Board of Review candidates (including mayoral candidate George Cardenas) ran unopposed.
Judicial Retentions
Cook County circuit judges up for retention run and campaign as a single class. Though turnover’s increased in recent years, historically, most judges are retained.
- All 61 judges up for retention kept their seats this election. See the results.
- Curious about the process? We broke it down.
Nonbinding Referendums
All Chicagoans also had the chance to vote on six nonbinding policy questions. As of late last night, here’s how they voted.
- “Midway Blitz” reimbursement: Nearly 85% of voters agreed the city should take legal action against the federal government to recover revenue lost during last year’s immigration raids.
- Permanent public fairgrounds: More than 67% of voters supported Chicago building public grounds for events, following recent pushback against music fests in neighborhood parks.
- Gunshot detection tech: Two years after Chicago terminated its contract with ShotSpotter, more than 72 percent of voters think it should restart using gunshot detection tech.
- A millionaire ‘surcharge’: Two referendums centered on whether Illinois should impose a new tax on millionaires for public funding, and about 80% of voters said “yes.”
- Vacant land penalties: More than 73% of voters agree owners of vacant lots pay a penalty to raise more money for schools.
