Election officials in DuPage and suburban Cook counties have finally put the March 17 primary to bed, certifying vote totals that lock in big-ticket Democratic nominees and give the green light to a couple of closely watched local ballot questions. With the numbers now official, campaigns are turning toward November while local governments start figuring out how to pay for parks and where exactly those backyard hens will go.
The Illinois State Board of Elections released the certified totals, as reported by Shaw Local. In the statewide contests, Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton led the Democratic U.S. Senate primary in county returns with 507,689 votes (40.39%), Gov. J.B. Pritzker collected 1,197,587 votes while running unopposed in the Democratic gubernatorial race, and Toni Preckwinkle came out on top in the Cook County Board president primary with 470,960 votes (69.03%). Locally, the tally also confirms that Naperville Park District’s $120 million bond passed, as did Wood Dale’s zoning amendment to allow backyard hens.
Stratton’s win has been treated nationally as a marquee victory for Illinois Democrats, and the AP officially called her the Democratic Senate nominee once results were certified. The outlet noted the primary drew heavy spending and attention after Sen. Dick Durbin announced his retirement, putting Stratton on a collision course this fall with the eventual Republican nominee.
County Measures: Bonds And Backyard Hens
On the local side of the ballot, suburban voters split their attention between parks and poultry. According to the certified county numbers reported by Shaw Local, Naperville voters signed off on a $120 million park bond with about 56 percent support, roughly 16,700 yes votes. Wood Dale residents, meanwhile, approved a zoning change that allows hens on single-family lots, with about 54 percent of voters, or 1,032 yes votes, backing the measure.
Both approvals now move from ballot language to real-world planning. Local officials are expected to set timelines for issuing the Naperville bonds and to draft specific ordinance changes in Wood Dale that spell out how the new hen rules will work in practice.
Cook County Politics Stays Steady
In Cook County’s marquee local contest, Board President Toni Preckwinkle’s primary performance matched the early headlines and then some once the certification came through. Coverage from NBC Chicago and other outlets documented challenger Brendan Reilly’s concession and underscored that Preckwinkle’s win keeps the current leadership team in place at the county level heading into the general election season.
What Comes Next
With the March winners officially on the books, campaigns are shifting out of primary mode. Stratton will head into November as the Democratic Senate nominee against the Republican pick, while Pritzker’s uncontested primary simply formalizes his role as the party’s gubernatorial standard-bearer. National coverage from The Washington Post and others has framed Illinois’ primary map as an early preview of the fall battleground.
Closer to home, city halls and park boards are now tasked with turning ballot language into line items and ordinances. Budget staffers will map out Naperville’s bond sale schedule and project list, while Wood Dale officials work through permitting details and enforcement rules for the new hen-friendly zoning. With the certification in hand, voters have a clearer view of which candidates and causes resonated this spring and which ones will define suburban politics heading into November.
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