Illinois Democrats had a commanding night at the polls, with JB Pritzker winning a third term as governor and Juliana Stratton capturing the state's open U.S. Senate seat. Down the ballot, Democrats also won all five U.S. House seats that became available through retirements or primary losses, while Chicago's school board races delivered a split verdict for the Chicago Teachers Union.
Pritzker and Stratton Lead the Ticket
Pritzker's victory for a third term as governor was reported in post-election coverage from the Chicago Tribune, which published its results roundup on Nov. 4. In the race to succeed retiring Sen. Dick Durbin, Stratton defeated Republican Don Tracy, according to STLPR. The Tribune's own headline framed the Senate contest plainly: voters chose Stratton as Durbin's successor.
Further down the statewide ballot, Democrat Margaret Croke and Republican Bryan Drew faced off for Illinois comptroller, a matchup detailed on NBC Chicago's live results page. CBS News reported that Croke won that race, defeating Drew by more than 20 percentage points, according to the station's coverage.
Democrats Sweep Five Open Congressional Seats
Five Illinois congressional seats became available this cycle through retirements or primary losses, the same NBC Chicago live page noted. CBS News reported that Democrats won every one of those open U.S. House districts, a sweep attributed to retirements and primary losses across the state. Among those races, the Tribune reported that Democrat Patty García won Illinois' 4th District, taking over for Rep. Jesús ‘Chuy’ García.
The congressional sweep came against a backdrop of unusually heavy early voting. Illinois recorded 1.6 million early votes in 2026, up from 1.4 million in 2022, a 14% increase according to NBC Chicago's analysis. By noon on Election Day, roughly 211,657 votes had already been cast at precincts across Chicago, compared with 102,775 during the March primary, per the same report.
Chicago Turnout Figures Diverge
Exactly how many Chicagoans turned out remains a matter of dispute between outlets. The Chicago Board of Elections reported preliminary turnout of at least 656,699 voters out of 1,565,133 registered voters — just under 42% — according to CBS News. Chicago election officials said the city has 21 days to finalize both results and turnout numbers, meaning the figures released that Wednesday were preliminary. South Side Weekly, citing early results, put the figure higher, reporting that about 43 percent of Chicago voters turned out for the midterm.
Long lines were a visible feature of Election Day itself. A Tribune photo caption described a line wrapping around the block at the Chicago Loop Supersite on Nov. 3. The paper also reported that election officials ran out of paper ballots at the West Chatham Park polling place that day, spurring hours-long waits, and that a polling place in the city's 35th Ward, 17th Precinct, had a low supply of a specific ballot type while workers waited for more to be delivered.
School Board Races and Regional Early-Voting Trends
Closer to home for many Chicago families, the city's school board races produced what the Tribune described as a split verdict for the Chicago Teachers Union. The outcome adds a wrinkle to a ballot on which Democrats swept the five open U.S. House seats.
The early-voting surge wasn't unique to Illinois. Wisconsin recorded 796,600 early votes in 2026, more than 10% above its 2022 total, while Indiana saw 885,100 early votes cast, up from 675,000 in 2022 — an increase of more than 34%, according to NBC Chicago's regional tally.
For full, race-by-race results, the Chicago Sun-Times maintains a live results page for the 2026 midterms. The Associated Press says it gathers results from local election officials in thousands of races nationwide and that its Decision Team declares winners only once it is certain trailing candidates have no remaining path to victory. Suburban Cook County voters can also check unofficial results through the Cook County Clerk's election-night page, which directs city residents to a separate portal for Chicago results.
