Results from the March 17th Primary in Illinois

Toplines

Illinois

U.S. Senate

• Lieutenant Governor Julianna Stratton (D) won the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate in an open-seat contest currently rated as “Solid Democrat” by Cook Political Report.
• If she is successful in the general election, there will be a record three Black women serving in the U.S. Senate concurrently in the next Congress. She will also be the second Black woman to represent Illinois in the Senate.
• With a Stratton win in November, Illinois would become the first state to send an all woman of color delegation to the U.S. Senate, joining Senator Tammy Duckworth, as well as the ninth state to have an all-woman delegation to the Senate. Eight states have been represented by two women senators simultaneously (AZ, CA, KS, ME, MN, NH, NV, WA), and four states currently have two women senators (MN, NH, NV, WA).

U.S. House

• Illinois is poised to increase its number of women in the U.S. House in 2027; women currently hold 6 of 17 (35.3%) seats in the Illinois delegation to the House. While 2 (2D) incumbent women representatives will leave office at the end of 2026, 3 (3D) non-incumbent women nominees and the remaining 4 (3D, 1R) incumbent women representatives are favored to win in November. Thirteen (8D, 5R) women are nominees for the U.S. House this year.
• Among the non-incumbent women nominees currently favored to win in November is former U.S. Representative Melissa Bean (D), who represented Illinois in the U.S. House from 2005 to 2011. She is the nominee in Illinois’ 8th Congressional District.
• Women nominees also currently favored in the general election are Cook County Commissioner Donna Miller (D) in the 2nd Congressional District and Patty Garcia (D) in the 4th Congressional District. Miller would be the fourth Black woman and Garcia would be the second Latina to represent Illinois in the U.S. House.

Statewide Elective Executive Office

• Both incumbent women holding statewide elective executive offices decided not to run for re-election this year. Lieutenant Governor Julianna Stratton (D) is seeking Illinois’ open U.S. Senate seat, and Comptroller Susana Mendoza (D) is leaving office.
• Two (1D, 1R) non-incumbent women will be nominees for statewide elective executive offices in 2026. Diane Harris (R) won the Republican nomination to challenge incumbent Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias (D), and the nominee is not yet selected in the all-woman primary contest for the Democratic nomination for comptroller; at present, state Representative Margaret Croke (D) is leading. 

Illinois

U.S. Senate

Women Nominees in 2026: Based on primary election results, a woman is 1 of 2 (50%) major-party nominees for U.S. Senate in Illinois. Lieutenant Governor Julianna Stratton (D) was successful in securing the Democratic nomination. Four (2D, 2R) women Senate candidates, including current U.S. Representative Robin Kelly (D), were unsuccessful. 

Current/Historic Women’s Representation: Women currently hold 1 of 2 (50%) seats in the Illinois delegation to the U.S. Senate. Two (2D) women have served in the U.S. Senate from Illinois: Tammy Duckworth (2017-Present) and Carol Moseley Braun (1993-1999).

Women Candidates in 2026: Five (3D, 3R) women filed as candidates for U.S. Senate in Illinois in 2026. This is a record high. They were 5 of 16 (31.3%) total major-party candidates for U.S. Senate in 2026.

Milestones to Watch in 2026:

• No more than two Black women have served simultaneously in the U.S. Senate. Current Black women Senators Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD) and Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE) are not up for election in 2026.  If Stratton is successful in November, at least three Black women will serve concurrently in the U.S. Senate in 2027.
• Eight states have been represented by two women senators simultaneously (AZ, CA, KS, ME, MN, NH, NV, WA).
• No state has been represented by two women of color senators simultaneously. 

U.S. House

Women Nominees in 2026: Based on primary election results, women are 13 of 34 (38.2%) major-party nominees for U.S. House in Illinois, including 8 of 17 (47.1%) Democrats and 5 of 17 (29.4%) Republicans. 

The number of women major-party nominees for the U.S. House falls short of the previous high (14), first set in 2020. Nineteen (14D, 5R) women House candidates were unsuccessful. Of the 13 (8D, 5R) women nominees for U.S. House in Illinois: 4 (3D, 1R) are incumbents, 4 (2D, 2R) are challengers, and 5 (3D, 2R) are running for open seats. 

• There will be four all-woman contests for the U.S. House in Illinois in 2026, including contests in IL-03, IL-04, IL-08, and IL-15. Among them, a new woman is all but assured to win in the all-woman contests for IL-04 and IL-08.
• Former U.S. Representative Melissa Bean (D), who left Congress in 2011, is the Democratic nominee in the open-seat contest in Illinois’ 8th Congressional District.

Current/Historic Women’s Representation: Women currently hold 6 of 17 (35.3%) seats in the Illinois delegation to the U.S. House. Twenty-one (12D, 9R) women have served in the U.S. House from Illinois. 

Women Candidates in 2026: Thirty-two (22D, 10R) women filed as candidates for U.S. House seats in Illinois in 2026. This is not a record high. They were 32 of 104 (30.8%) total major-party candidates for U.S. House in 2026.

• Two (2D) of 6 (5D, 1R) incumbent women representatives did not run for re-election this year. Robin Kelly (D) ran unsuccessfully for the U.S. Senate, and Jan Schakowsky (D) will retire at the end of this term.

Statewide Elective Executive Office

Women Nominees in 2026: Based on primary election results, women will be 2 of 11 (18.2%) major-party nominees for statewide elective executive office in Illinois, including 1 of 6 (16.7%) Democrats and 1 of 5 (20%) Republicans. This includes a woman nominee not yet selected for the Democratic nomination for comptroller, a contest currently too close to call with only women candidates in the running. At present, state Representative Margaret Croke (D) is leading.

The number of women major-party nominees for statewide elective executive office falls short of the previous high (5). Of the 2 (1D, 1R) women nominees for statewide elective executive office in Illinois: 1 (1R) is a challenger, and 1 (1D) is running for an open seat. 

Current/Historic Women’s Representation: Women currently hold 2 of 6 (33.3%) statewide elective executive offices in Illinois. Ten (5D, 5R) women have served in statewide elective executive offices in Illinois.

Women Candidates in 2026: Seven (4D, 3R) women filed as candidates for statewide elective executive office in Illinois in 2026. This is not a record high. They were 7of 21 (33.3%) total major-party candidates for statewide elective executive office in 2026.

• Neither of Illinois’ incumbent women statewide elective executive officeholders ran for re-election this year. Lieutenant Governor Julianna Stratton (D) ran successfully for the Democratic nomination for the U.S. Senate, and Comptroller Susana Mendoza (D) decided not to run for re-election. 

Milestones to Watch in 2026: 

• No woman has served as secretary of state in Illinois.