Nothing like St. Patrick’s Day in Illinois.

Results from a busy primary election as of the morning of Wednesday, March 18, show a blue state ready to select its next roster of congressional leadership. Races for the Senate, House of Representatives and Governor were highlighted by an opportunity to replace longtime incumbent Senator Dick Durbin, a liberal stalwart who is retiring since first being elected in 1996.

Here are the results from the primary and what they mean for the November midterms.

Senate race results

All eyes are on Illinois’ Senate race in 2026. A U.S. Senate seat is up for grabs after Durbin, 81, announced his retirement in April 2025. The opening of Durbin’s seat comes as the GOP fights to maintain a majority on Capitol Hill that ensures success for President Donald Trump’s second-term agenda. Both of Illinois’ senators are currently Democrats, with Durbin serving alongside Sen. Tammy Duckworth. Democrats in the loyally blue state are looking to lockdown a stronghold.

For the Democratic ticket, Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton won by 40%, according to AP and CNN. She bested Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, who lead in campaign finance leading up to the race. Stratton, was backed by Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, would bring a more progressive agenda to Capitol Hill: She said she would not support Sen. Chuck Schumer as Democratic leader and has called for abolishing the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency. If she wins in November, Stratton could become just the 6th Black woman in history to serve to the upper chamber.

Illinois primary takeaways: The new Democratic faces emerge

Stratton will face the winner of the Republican race, Don Tracy, who won his party’s race by 39.8%, according to AP and CNN. Tracy is the former chair of the Illinois Republican Party in the heavily-Democrat state.

House race results

There’s lots of room for new faces in the House come January 2027. Voters in each of Illinois’ 17 congressional districts cast ballots for one Republican and one Democrat to be on the November 2026 ballot, which determines who gets elected to the U.S. House of Representatives.

Because two incumbent Illinois House members, Krishnamoorthi and U.S. Rep. Robin Kelly are currently running for Senate, their seats are up for grabs. And two more seats are open after Rep. Jan Schakowsky, 81, and Rep. Danny Davis, 84, announced their retirement. A clamor of fresh candidates entered the race to fill these seats.

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Here are the results in those key races, according to AP and CNN:

• 2nd District (Kelly): Donna Kelly beat Jesse Jackson Jr., son of the late civil rights leader, stalling his political comeback run, by 40%. She will face the GOP’s Michael Noack, who ran unopposed.
• 7th District (Davis): La Shawn Ford won by 23.9% and Chad Koppie won by 65%.
• 8th District (Krishnamoorthi): Former Rep. Melissa Bean earned her Democratic ticket spot by 31% to reclaim her old seat. She will face Republican Jennifer Davis, who won by 51.5%.
• 9th District (Schakowsky): Evanston mayor Daniel Biss won by 29% and John Elleson won by 49%. Biss prevailed over Kat Abughazaleh, a well-financed Gen Z opponent and influencer among a large field of opponents.

Pritzker tests presidential tone

Pritzker is staring down his own campaign to become the state’s first-ever third-term Democratic governor. Candidates for governor and lieutenant governor run on the same ticket. Pritzker and Christian Mitchell ran unopposed in Tuesday’s Democratic primary, which was a bellwether of his political appeal. Come November, Pritzker will face the Republican Darren Bailey, who won his race by 53%, according to AP and CNN.

Pritzker, who is a potential 2028 Democratic presidential contender, also used the March 17 victory speech to slam Trump, referring to the president as the GOP’s “dear leader.” He also called Trump the “carnival barker-in-chief” and “commander-in-thief” while speaking out against the immigration enforcement campaign in the state last year known as “Operation Midway Blitz.”

Why this race matters

There are state-level and national implications of the Illinois race. For voters on the ground, Tuesday’s primary delivered a fresh intake of energy from new faces bent on keeping the Democratic mission alive in a staunchly blue state.

And there’s the impact on America writ large. The election comes as both parties attempt to hold on to Congressional power, either tanking or securing the success of Trump’s second-term agenda.

Contributing: Philip Bailey, Jay Stahl