Polls have closed in Illinois after voters cast ballots in several primary contests that will test the direction of the Democratic Party. Follow for live news updates.
In the House races, CNN projects that Cook County Commissioner Donna Miller will win the Democratic primary in the 2nd District, foiling a comeback attempt by former Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr.for the Senate seat featuring two US House members, Reps.
Raja Krishnamoorthi and Robin Kelly, and Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton.Republican Darren Bailey will win the GOP nomination for Illinois governor, according to a projection from CNN’s Decision Desk. He’ll face Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker in a general election rematch of the 2022 race, when Bailey lost to Pritzker by nearly 13 percentage points. Bailey is a former state senator and farmer who drew attention for using charged rhetoric in the last election, notably calling Chicago a “hellhole” at the state fair that year. He changed his tune this campaign after losing four family members, including his son, in a Montana helicopter crash last year,JB Pritzker, governor of Illinois, speaks to members of the media at Manny's Cafeteria and Delicatessen during a primary election in Chicago, Illinois, on Tuesday.Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, who is eyeing a potential 2028 bid for the Democratic presidential nomination, sharply criticized President Donald Trump and his administration’s immigration enforcement actions Tuesday night as he celebrated his own renomination to a third term. Pritzker, who ran unopposed in the primary, pivoted to criticism of Trump and congressional Republicans within minutes of his victory speech. “Everything we care about is under siege from Washington,” Pritzker told the crowd gathered in Chicago for what was billed as a general election kickoff event. “Right now, grifters of corruption and selfishness, purveyors of bigotry and hatred, have taken control of the White House and the Congress,” Pritzker said. “Their purpose is to make themselves and their Dear Leader richer, and to do it at the expense of the powerless and the most vulnerable.” “The Carnival Barker in Chief – sorry, I meant the Commander in Thief – says there’s no federal money for health care and food assistance for families in need,” he continued. “But he had no trouble finding tens of millions of dollars to send masked troops with assault weapons onto the streets of Illinois to terrorize Americans.” Pritzker said an accountability commission he has established will gather evidence of “wrongdoing” by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents who were deployed to Chicago to hold them “criminally and civilly liable” for their actions. Tuesday’s election will offer a test of Pritzker’s clout in his home state. The governor, the billionaire heir to a hotel chain fortune, has used his political and financial power to boost Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton in the US Senate race to replace retiring Sen. Dick Durbin.Cook County Commissioner and candidate for Illinois' 2nd Congressional District Donna Miller attends a forum hosted by the Democratic Women of the Southland Region, in Chicago Heights, Illinois, on February 28.Cook County commissioner Donna Miller will win the Democratic primary in Illinois’ 2nd Congressional District, according to a projection from CNN’s Decision Desk. Miller will defeat a long list of other Democrats, most notably former Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr., who was aiming to complete a comeback bid for the district he represented from 1995 to 2012.Miller’s run hasn’t been without some controversy. Democratic Rep. Jan Schakowsky recently withdrew her endorsement of Miller over support for her campaign from groups linked to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee. The group’s involvement turned the race into one of several Democratic contests in Illinois, where AIPAC’s influence on the party became a major issue. The 2nd District, which includes parts of Chicago and stretches south, is deeply blue, and Miller will be heavily favored to clinch a win there in November.Democratic congressional candidate Kat Abughazaleh holds a megaphone outside of the Broadview ICE processing facility in Broadview, Illinois, on September 26, 2025.An ability to generate attention online has allowed Kat Abughazaleh to upend the traditional political playbook in her bid to win a House seat in The winner of the March 17 primary will be heavily favored to win the seat held by Democratic Rep. Jan Schakowsky, who is retiring at the end of her current term. Abughazaleh’s strategy highlights a larger challenge facing Democrats, as they look for new ways to reach voters beyond traditional news, TV ads and mailers., many of them seeking to unseat Democratic incumbents, have argued the party must change its tactics and messaging to meet the current moment under The digital-first approach also tests whether rallying support online can help make up for potential weak points campaigns may have. A central challenge for Abughazaleh has been establishing herself in a district she’s lived in since last May. She has turned her campaign office into a mutual aid hub, where residents can receive items like menstrual products, and has participated in protests and local events. But the other leading contenders in the race — Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss and state Sen. Laura Fine — have both served in the state legislature and lived in the district for decades.As the polls close in Illinois, Gov. JB Pritzker, unopposed for renomination, takes one step closer to a third term. Pritzker, whose name has been floated as a potential 2028 presidential contender and who recently waded into clashes with President Donald Trump over ICE presence in Chicago, will be heavily favored in November. He easily sailed to reelection for his last two terms by margins of at least 12 percentage points. This is Pritzker’s first gubernatorial campaign without Lieutenant Gov. Juliana Stratton by his side; Stratton is just one of several Democratic candidates in a crowded primary vying to replace outgoing Sen. Dick Durbin. Joining him on the ticket this year is Christian Mitchell, a former state representative who served in a senior role during the governor’s first term.Patty Garcia will become the Democratic nominee in the 4th Congressional District, running unopposed in the primary after her boss – US Rep. Jesus “Chuy” Garcia – made a late decision not to seek reelection. The congressman said his abrupt move just before the filing deadline came after he received troubling health news. Patty Garcia, who is his chief of staff but not related to the lawmaker, was the only Democrat to file for the seat. Garcia’s actions, which appeared to orchestrate his departure to ensure he would be replaced by his hand-picked successor, drew criticism from members of both parties and led to a formal reprimand by his colleagues in the US House. A similar scenario played out earlier this month in the US Senate when Montana Republican Steve Daines announced his retirement shortly before a candidate filing deadline in a move intended to block Democrats from fielding a top recruit for a potential open seat. As the Democratic nominee in the 4th District, Garcia will be favored in November, but two other progressives – former field organizer Mayra Macias and Chicago Alderman Byron Sigcho-Lopez – are running as independents.Voters wait in line to cast their ballots at a polling location inside Goudy Elementary School in Chicago, on Tuesday.It is 8 p.m. ET and polls are closing in Illinois’ primary election.The retirement of Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin has led to an expensive primary to replace him, headlined by US Reps. Raja Krishnamoorthi and Robin Kelly and Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton. Krishnamoorthi has led in fundraising and Stratton has the support of Gov. JB Pritzker. Kelly is backed by the Congressional Black Caucus.Meantime, Pritzker is a frequently discussed 2028 presidential contender, but first he’s got to win a third term. He’s unopposed for renomination.From left: Rep. Robin Kelly, Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi and Illinois Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton attend a US Senate Democratic primary debate in Chicago, on February 19.With the midterm elections around the corner, the Illinois Senate and House primaries could give an indication of the direction that Democratic voters want their party to follow. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton and Rep. Robin Kelly are running to replace retiring Democratic Whip Dick Durbin in the Senate. It comes as Democrats struggle to find a message to coalesce around as they try to regain power in Congress in 2026. The contest is also setting up a test of Gov. JB Pritzker’s political clout in the state as he eyes a potential 2028 presidential bid. For instance, against the backdrop of increased immigration enforcement in Chicago, Krishnamoorthi and Stratton have railed against US Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Stratton has cast doubt on how far Krishnamoorthi, an immigrant himself, would go in challenging President Donald Trump on the issue, partly because of his acceptance of campaign donations connected to Palantir, a federal contractor assisting immigration enforcement. Krishnamoorthi’s campaign said in December they had donated the equivalent of the contribution back to immigrant right groups.Plus, several Democratic House primaries in the Chicago area are testing the power of pro-Israel groups. The 2nd, 7th, 8th and 9th Districts all feature groups affiliated with the American Israel Public Affairs Committee trying to boost their preferred candidates.Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker campaigns for Democratic Senate candidate Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton at the Montclare Senior Residences of Avalon Park in Chicago, on March 12.Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker is running unopposed in his bid for a third term in office in today’s primary, but he has been very involved in the high-profile Senate race. The governor backed Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton, with the endorsement bringing not only a deep pocketbook and network of donors, but also political capital as he weighs a potential presidential bid.Pritzker has emerged as a key Democratic figure on the national stage and is a frequently discussed 2028 presidential contender.” within the Democratic Party, rejected what he bemoaned as “the culture of incrementalism” and called for “do-nothing” figures to step aside. Most recently, Pritzker forcefully pushed back against President Donald Trump and his move to send federal troops to carry out a “There is no emergency that warrants deployment of troops. He is insulting the people of Chicago by calling our home a hellhole, and anyone who takes his word at face value is insulting Chicagoans, too,” Pritzker said. CNN’s Jake Tapper spoke with Pritzker about ICE agents’ use of deadly force on “State of the Union” in January.Rep. Robin Kelly, left, Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, center, and Illinois Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton, candidates for the US Senate, attend a . Senate Democratic Primary Debate, in Chicago, February 19.Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin stepping aside after five terms has paved the way for an expensive race for the seat. According to CNN analyst Ashley Allison, a White House Senior Policy Adviser during the Obama administration, the slight diversity in ideology of the candidates is what to watch for in the race. The primary features two US House members, Reps. Raja Krishnamoorthi and Robin Kelly, and Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton. She told CNN’s Jake Tapper that while the candidates don’t differ much in terms of their stances, there are some differences between them such as their views on supporting Sen. Chuck Schumer as Majority Leader, should the Democrats take over control of the Senate. “Illinois is pretty Democratic – but it’s a signal of where the party is going to go,” Allison said. “Are we going to change in leadership? Will Chicago voters align, Illinois voters align? I just think it’s good for Democrats.”, is investing heavily across congressional races in Illinois, including the Democratic primary for Senate. The group ended January with $191 million cash on hand, according to FEC filings, signaling the influential role crypto-aligned groups could play across races this midterm cycle. In the Illinois Senate race, the super PAC has spent more than $8 million on ads attacking candidate Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton who has support from crypto regulation advocates like Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker and Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts. The governor signed a bill last year to regulate the state’s crypto industry. Geoff Vetter, a spokesperson for Fairshake, told CNN the group declined to comment on the Illinois race but said it generally “supports pro-crypto candidates and opposes anti-crypto politicians.” Stratton and her allies have pushed back on the crypto spending. “A Senate seat shouldn’t be for sale, but MAGA donors and crypto-lobbyists are trying to buy one,” intoned one ad from the Illinois Future PAC. “I think there’s a lot of outside money, people outside the state, who are trying to push up other candidates, because they got some special interest,” Pritzker said. “The interest I’ve got is I need a fighter fighting for us in Washington. That’s Juliana.” Another candidate in the race, Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, has said the critiques coming from Stratton and her allies about outside spending are hypocritical. Shane Goldmacher of the New York Times and Abby Livingston of Puck joined the “Inside Politics” panel last week to talk about crypto cash in the midterm elections.Jesse Jackson Jr., the former congressman and the son of the late civil rights icon, is attempting a political comeback in Illinois’ Democratic primary today — more than a decade after completing a federal prison term for campaign finance violations. Jackson, 61, served in Congress for 17 years before his resignation in 2012 amid the federal investigation. His guilty plea for using $750,000 in campaign funds for personal goods and services, including furs and celebrity memorabilia, made national headlines at the time.Now as he campaigns for his old Chicago-area seat, Jackson argues that his long experience on Capitol Hill gives him the know-how to deliver for the district. But he also speaks openly of his incarceration, the financial struggles that followed and serving as a caregiver for his father, the Rev. Jesse Jackson, who died last month. Jackson faces a field of nine other candidates vying to represent Illinois’ 2nd Congressional District. He’s been outraised by several of his rivals but has benefited from more than $1.1 million in outside spending by Think Big, a political action committee that’s focused on electing pro-AI Democrats.US Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi dominated fundraising and spending for the Illinois Democratic Senate primary, after years spent stockpiling resources as a House member. Ahead of his Senate campaign launch last year, Krishnamoorthi had reported nearly $20 million in cash on hand in his House account, a massive financial lead that he’s since built on and put to work. Krishnamoorthi’s campaign accounted for more than half of the total spent on advertising for the Senate primary — about $29 million out of more than $57 million. He blanketed Illinois airwaves with ads touting his efforts to lower costs and oppose the Trump administration. “Trump has unleashed a huge set of tax cuts for the wealthiest, funded by cuts to the social safety net,” Krishnamoorthi says in one of his most-aired ads. “Anger and fear are natural. I feel those emotions as well, but we got to channel it into action.” Krishnamoorthi’s top rivals, Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton, and US Rep. Robin Kelly, were unable to match his media blitz alone — each spending just over $1 million on ads. But Stratton received a lift from a group, Illinois Future PAC, funded partly by billionaire Gov. JB Pritzker, which spent nearly $15 million on advertising. Krishnamoorthi also benefited from outside support. Fairshake, a super PAC backed by the cryptocurrency industry, spent more than $9.5 million on the contest attacking Stratton, whose supporters include advocates of crypto regulation such as Pritzker and Sen. Elizabeth Warren – though the group’s ads focused on local issuesDemocratic voters in the traditionally blue state of Illinois are voting to replace longtime Senator Dick Durbin, and the issue of how to take on President Donald Trump looms large. CNN’s Steve Contorno reports.Democratic voters in the traditionally blue state of Illinois are voting to replace longtime Senator Dick Durbin, and the issue of how to take on President Donald Trump looms large. CNN's Steve Contorno reports.A trio of super PACs linked to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee have spent millions of dollars on advertising in Democratic primaries in Illinois, aiming to boost candidates friendly to Israel across the crowded set of nominating contests. Across the four contests, the three groups combined to spend about $20 million, and ranked as the largest advertiser in each primary, according to data from the ad tracking firm AdImpact. With US support for Israel a flashpoint in Democratic politics, the groups’ advertising has avoided mention of the divisive conflicts in the Middle East. But in each of the four congressional primaries they’ve targeted, the super PACs have backed candidates who oppose limits on American military aid to Israel. The primary in the 9th district has seen the most activity – there, a group linked to AIPAC called Elect Chicago Women spent more than $4.6 million on ads supporting state, touting her resistance to the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement crackdown.In the 7th district, United Democracy Project, another AIPAC-linked super PAC, spent more than $4.8 million on ads backing Chicago City TreasurerAnd in the 2nd district, a third AIPAC-linked super PAC, Affordable Chicago Now, has spent about $4.5 million on ads supporting Cook County Commissioner, other PACs it is funding and connected donors together are dumping millions into a race for at House seat in the north Chicago suburbs. Daniel Biss, one of the candidates who is running on a wide array of progressive stances who has not been on the receiving end of that money, said he believes that is part of the reason it is “a very important race.” He is the grandson of Holocaust survivors who moved to Israel and he grew up with dual citizenship and briefly studied there while an undergraduate. “It’s obvious that I care about the well-being of the Jewish people and the problem of antisemitism,” Biss told CNN. “They can’t dismiss my positions that are for justice, for dignity and self-determination for the Palestinian people as somehow illegitimate or being pushed forward by someone who doesn’t know.” Through at least three shell PACs, including the United Democracy Project, AIPAC is set to top $20 million just in the Chicago-area House races ahead of today’s primaries. Democratic candidate for Congress, state Sen. Laura Fine, speaks during a Illinois 9th District primary debate, in Chicago, on February 25.As Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s war in Gaza repelled more Americans on the left, even many Democrats who consider themselves strong supporters of Israel have felt out of sync and uncomfortable. But they and other Israel backers also worry that support for the country is becoming more partisan — and that, especially as prospective candidates start to speak out, anti-Israel rhetoric could become a defining issue in the next presidential primary race.Sen.Dick Durbin visits a protester aid station outside of the Broadview ICE facility, in Chicago, Illinois, on October 10, 2025.Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin is doing what many of his contemporaries have been reluctant to do – retire. His decision to step aside after serving five terms in the Senate — and seven terms in the House — set into motion a remarkably competitive Democratic primary race unfolding today in Illinois. His departure at the end of this congressional session marks the end of a remarkable run and winning streak that started in 1982, when he defeated longtime Republican Rep. Paul Findley, who held the Springfield-area congressional seat for 22 years. Durbin won his first Senate race in 1996, succeeding Sen. Paul Simon. Durbin, 81, is the longest-serving Democratic whip in the Senate’s modern history. As the No. 2 Democrat in the Senate, he’s long been one of the party’s leading liberal voices on Capitol Hill, whose retirement will mark the end of a long era. “I truly love the job of being a United States Senator,” Durbin said last year when he announced his decision to not seek re-election. “But in my heart, I know it’s time to pass the torch.” Tonight, that torch will move one step closer to being passed, as the winner of a Democratic primary in deep-blue Illinois is likely a glide path to a November victory.A son of Rev. Jesse Jackson said the late civil rights leader did not endorse in the Illinois’ Democratic primary for an open Senate seat after the state’s Lt. Gov. Julianna Stratton put out a statement over the weekend saying he had. In a statement, Yusef Jackson said his father had not finalized his endorsements before his death last month and a draft sample ballot with his picks was erroneously released. Stratton’s name was listed first on a three-fold pamphlet that was handed out Saturday at Women’s History Month event hosted by Rainbow PUSH, an organization founded by Jesse Jackson. “Out of respect for my father, we decided not to publicly release his intended selections given the process had not been finalized,” Yusef Jackson said in the statement. Stratton, who spoke at the event, announced the endorsement on Saturday in a press release that quoted Pastor Stephen J. Thurston, a close family friend of the Jacksons, who said the civil rights leader saw in Stratton an “unrelenting commitment to the people of Illinois.” In a statement shared with CNN yesterday, Stratton’s campaign said at the event “officials told her she received the endorsement.” It comes at the end of a race that features two prominent Black officials, Stratton and US Rep. Robin Kelly, with ties to Chicago’s South Side. US Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi is also in the race. Jesse Jackson, Jr. is attempting a political comeback in Illinois’ second congressional district after resigning in 2012 amid federal investigation into financial improprieties that ultimately resulted in him going to prison. CNN’s Jeff Zeleny reported on the gathering of friends, family and political leaders for the funeral of Rev. Jackson earlier this month.The race for Senate in Illinois was thrown wide open last April when longtime Sen. Dick Durbin announced he would not seek reelection, attracting a slew of high-profile candidates who are now battling for the Democratic nomination and a potentially lengthy Senate career in deep blue Illinois.Stratton has benefited from an endorsement by Gov. JB Pritzker and an influx of the governor’s money, with $5 million donated to a pro-Stratton PAC by him in December. Krishnamoorthi has outraised the field by a mile, bringing in more than $30 million, according to FEC filings. Kelly, endorsed by the Congressional Black Caucus, trails the pack in fundraising with just over $3 million and has struggled to gain significant momentum in this three-way race. Much of the campaign has centered around the jabs between Krishnamoorthi and Stratton, especially amid increased immigration enforcement in Chicago. Both candidates have railed against US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, but where Stratton has called to abolish ICE completely, Krishnamoorthi has been less strident, calling to abolish “Trump’s ICE.” Although there’s a Republican field that includes former party chairman Don Tracy, whoever wins the Democratic primary is likely to win the seat in November.
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