With all precincts reported, Democrat Jared Ploger won the race for Illinois Senate District 42 by 26,809 votes, according to reported results. The Aurora high school teacher received 49,191 votes to Republican Edgardo “Eddie” Perez's 22,382 and is set to succeed longtime Sen. Linda Holmes.
Holmes has represented the district, which includes parts of Kane, Kendall, Will and DuPage counties, since 2007, according to Shaw Local. She is retiring to focus on health issues. After her departure created a vacancy on the ballot, Democratic chairs from those four counties selected Ploger as the party's candidate.
Ploger, an Aurora resident and longtime social studies teacher, previously served on the Oswego School District 308 board and is president of the Valley View Council Local 604 of the American Federation of Teachers, Shaw Local reported. He also ran for state office earlier this year, losing the Democratic primary for Illinois House District 84 to Saba Haider by 27 points in March, according to Capitol News Illinois.
Perez's Law Enforcement and Military Background
Perez, also an Aurora resident, is a U.S. Air Force veteran who retired after roughly 30 years in law enforcement, including narcotics work with the FBI and Illinois State Police, Shaw Local reported.
Shaw Local reported that Perez did not attend a League of Women Voters candidate forum or submit a questionnaire to the outlet. Ploger did respond to the questionnaire, outlining his legislative priorities.
Education Funding and Housing Took Center Stage
In his questionnaire response to Shaw Local, Ploger said his priorities included living wages, affordable housing and fully funding the state's K-12 and higher education systems. He called for greater state support for K-12 schools through the Evidence-Based Funding model, saying that would ease the burden on local property taxes. On housing, he proposed support for first-time homebuyers, preserving affordable housing, addressing predatory lending and limiting private equity firms' influence over housing costs.
A separate account from the Senate Republican Victory Fund described Perez's priorities differently: he said he wanted to hold the line on taxes and described his campaign as a push to be a strong voice for public safety, children and families. The website also noted Perez had served with the Batavia Police Department.
Voters Flagged Taxes and Data Centers on Both Sides
Before the election, both candidates identified housing costs and data centers as issues voters were raising. Ploger told the Chicago Tribune that people were discussing housing, water and utility costs in connection with the region's growing data centers. Perez told the Tribune that voters were also concerned about taxes and felt they did not know enough about their elected representatives.
Statewide context for education and data centers
The issues raised in the race reflect broader statewide pressures. A Capitol News Illinois analysis covering 2017 to 2025 found that homeowners in Illinois' lowest-wealth school districts pay tax rates twice as high as those in the wealthiest districts. The outlet also reported that in 2026, 537 districts—63% of the state's total—were funded below 90% of their Evidence-Based Funding adequacy targets, according to Capitol News Illinois. On electricity demand, the Illinois Commerce Commission said in March 2026 that ComEd had 75 large-customer applications in its pipeline, with combined maximum demand exceeding the utility's all-time system peak, according to the Illinois Commerce Commission.
The Tribune described a contest in which Ploger emphasized infrastructure, living wages and education funding, while Perez focused on transparency, veterans' issues and opportunities for young people. With all precincts reported and a substantial lead, Ploger is positioned to bring his stated priorities to Springfield as he succeeds Holmes.
