2026 Illinois gubernatorial election
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The 2026 Illinois gubernatorial election will be held on November 3, 2026, to elect the Governor of Illinois. This election will coincide with various other federal and state elections, including the U.S. Senate elections and U.S. House elections.
Incumbent governor JB Pritzker was re-elected with 54.9% of the vote in 2022. Because Illinois does not have gubernatorial term limits, he is eligible to run for re-election to a third term and has publicly expressed interest in doing so.[1]
Background
[edit]A moderately to strongly blue state, Illinois has a reputation for being both the most populous and the most left-leaning state in the Midwest, traits vastly owed to the progressive and diverse Chicago metropolitan area. Though the state has historically favored Republicans for governor, Democrats have won all but one gubernatorial race in Illinois since 2002, the exception being Bruce Rauner's narrow victory in 2014.[2] In addition, Democrats have won Illinois by double-digit margins in every presidential race since 1992; and consistently occupied all of its statewide offices since 2019.
Incumbent Governor JB Pritzker, a member of the Democratic Party, has comfortably won in the past two elections, having first been elected with a 15.6% lead in 2018[3] and won re-election by 12.5% in 2022.[4] Despite the state's strong Democratic lean, Republicans are comfortably favored in most of rural Illinois, especially in much of West Central and Southern Illinois.
Democratic primary
[edit]Candidates
[edit]Publicly expressed interest
[edit]- JB Pritzker, incumbent governor (2019–present)[5]
Potential
[edit]- Rahm Emanuel, former U.S. Ambassador to Japan (2022–2025) and former mayor of Chicago (2011–2019)[6]
Republican primary
[edit]Candidates
[edit]Declared
[edit]- James Mendrick, DuPage County Sheriff (2018–present)[7]
- Running mate: Robert Renteria, author and businessman[8]
Publicly expressed interest
[edit]- Aaron Del Mar, Palatine Township Highway Commissioner, former chair of the Cook County Republican Party, and candidate for lieutenant governor in 2022[9]
- Richard Porter, former member of the Republican National Committee and the Illinois State Police Merit Board[10]
Potential
[edit]- Jeanne Ives, former state representative, candidate for governor in 2018, and nominee for Illinois's 6th congressional district in 2020[10][11]
- Blaine Wilhour, state representative[12]
General election
[edit]Predictions
[edit]| Source | Ranking | As of |
|---|---|---|
| The Cook Political Report[13] | Solid D | January 23, 2025 |
| Inside Elections[14] | Solid D | February 6, 2025 |
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ Kapos, Shia (August 20, 2024). "DNC's dramatic Day One". Politico. Archived from the original on August 23, 2024. Retrieved August 20, 2024.
During the Illinois breakfast meeting, Pritzker hinted at a third term, saying his wife, MK Pritzker, would be the decider
- ^ Leip, David. "2014 Gubernatorial General Election Results - Illinois". uselectionatlas.org. Archived from the original on 2025-04-04. Retrieved 2025-04-09.
- ^ Leip, David. "2018 Gubernatorial General Election Results - Illinois". uselectionatlas.org. Archived from the original on 2024-05-20. Retrieved 2025-04-09.
- ^ Leip, David. "2022 Gubernatorial General Election Results - Illinois". uselectionatlas.org. Archived from the original on 2024-04-19. Retrieved 2025-04-09.
- ^ Kapos, Shia (January 30, 2025). "Pritzker's tense call with Schumer". Politico. Retrieved January 31, 2025.
Pritzker was asked by a reporter if he would seek a third term...'I have to make a decision over the next few months,' he said.
- ^ Sweet, Lynn (23 November 2024). "What's next for Rahm Emanuel?". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved 2 December 2024.
- ^ "DuPage Co. Sheriff James Mendrick to run for governor of Illinois". WLS-TV. February 27, 2025. Archived from the original on March 10, 2025. Retrieved February 27, 2025.
- ^ "Dr. Robert Renteria Announced as Illinois Lt. Governor Pick by Sherif James Mendrick" (Press release). Chicago: PR Newswire. March 14, 2025. Retrieved March 17, 2025 – via Yahoo News.
- ^ Barker, Catrina (February 10, 2025). "Del Mar teases run for 'higher office,' sparking 2026 Illinois governor speculation". The Center Square. Retrieved February 10, 2025.
- ^ a b Pfingsten, Patrick (January 28, 2025). "GOP Field for Governor in 2026 Slow to Develop". The Illinoize. Retrieved January 30, 2025.
- ^ Pearson, Rick (February 27, 2025). "DuPage County Sheriff James Mendrick seeking GOP bid for Illinois governor in 2026". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved February 28, 2025.
- ^ Bishop, Greg (March 17, 2025). Illinois in Focus: Is Pritzker running for a third term as Illinois governor or for president?. The Center Square – via YouTube.
- ^ "2026 CPR Governor Race ratings". Cook Political Report. Retrieved January 23, 2025.
- ^ "Gubernatorial Ratings". Inside Elections. Retrieved 2025-02-07.