2026 Illinois gubernatorial election
The 2026 Illinois gubernatorial election will be held on November 3, 2026, to elect the governor of Illinois. Primary elections were held on March 17, 2026. This election will coincide with various other federal and state elections, including the U.S. senate elections and U.S. house elections.
Article
2026 Illinois gubernatorial election
The 2026 Illinois gubernatorial election will be held on November 3, 2026, to elect the governor of Illinois. Primary elections were held on March 17, 2026. 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 is running for re-election to a third term in office. However, lieutenant governor Juliana Stratton, who ran with Pritzker in both 2018 and 2022, is running for U.S. senate, making her ineligible to be Pritzker's running mate. This will be a rematch of the previous gubernatorial race of (/wiki/2022Illinoisgubernatorialelection) four years previously, and the first gubernatorial rematch in Illinois since (/wiki/1986Illinoisgubernatorialelection).
If Pritzker wins his reelection bid, he would become the first Democratic governor in Illinois history to complete two full terms.
Background
2026 Illinois gubernatorial election
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 (/wiki/2002Illinoisgubernatorialelection), the exception being Bruce Rauner's narrow victory in (/wiki/2014Illinoisgubernatorialelection). In addition, Democrats have won Illinois by double-digit margins in every presidential race since (/wiki/1992UnitedStatespresidentialelectioninIllinois); and consistently occupied all of its statewide offices since (/wiki/2018Illinoiselections).
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 (/wiki/2018Illinoisgubernatorialelection) and won re-election by 12.5% in (/wiki/2022Illinoisgubernatorialelection). 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. Illinois is one of 16 states that do not have gubernatorial term limits. If Pritzker were to win, he would be the first governor elected to a third term since Jim Thompson in (/wiki/1982Illinoisgubernatorialelection).
Democratic primary
Nominee
• JB Pritzker, incumbent governor (2019–present) • Running mate: Christian Mitchell, former deputy governor (2019–2023) and former state representative (2013–2019)
Disqualified
• Patricia Tillman, former candidate for Chicago City Council • Running mate: Joseph Mosley
Results
<table><thead><tr><th>Party</th><th>Candidate</th><th>Votes</th><th>%</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td></td><td>Democratic</td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Total votes</td><td></td><td></td></tr></tbody></table>
Republican primary
Nominee
• Darren Bailey, former state senator from the 55th district (2021–2023), nominee for governor in (/wiki/2022Illinoisgubernatorialelection), and candidate for Illinois's 12th congressional district in (/wiki/2024UnitedStatesHouseofRepresentativeselectionsinIllinois#District12) • Running mate: Aaron Del Mar, Palatine Township Highway Commissioner, chair of the Cook County Republican Party, and candidate for lieutenant governor in (/wiki/2022Illinoisgubernatorialelection)
Eliminated in primary
• Ted Dabrowski, conservative news website president • Running mate: Carrie Mendoza, leader of FAIR In Medicine • Rick Heidner, real estate developer • Running mate: Christina Neitzke-Troike, mayor of Homer Glen • James Mendrick, DuPage County Sheriff (2018–present) • Running mate: Robert Renteria, author and businessman
Withdrawn
• Phil Perez, member of the Posen Park District Commission • Max Solomon, attorney and candidate for governor in (/wiki/2022Illinoisgubernatorialelection) (running a write-in campaign for State Treasurer) • Running mate: Geno Young, musician and candidate for Illinois's 1st congressional district in (/wiki/2022Illinois's1stcongressionaldistrictelection)
Disqualified
• Joseph Severino, capital management professional, nominee for Illinois's 10th congressional district in (/wiki/2022UnitedStatesHouseofRepresentativeselectionsinIllinois#District10) and independent candidate in (/wiki/2024UnitedStatesHouseofRepresentativeselectionsinIllinois#District10) • Running mate: Rantch Isquith, bank examiner
Declined
• Scott Gartner, mayor of Antioch (2021–present) • Jeanne Ives, former state representative from the 42nd district (2013–2019), candidate for governor in (/wiki/2018Illinoisgubernatorialelection), and nominee for Illinois's 6th congressional district in (/wiki/2020UnitedStatesHouseofRepresentativeselectionsinIllinois#District6) (endorsed Dabrowski) • Darin LaHood, U.S. representative from Illinois's 16th congressional district (2015–present) (running for re-election) • Dan Ugaste, state representative from the 65th district (2019–present) (running for re-election)
Polling
<table><thead><tr><th>Poll source</th><th>Date(s) administered</th><th>Sample size</th><th>Margin of error</th><th>Darren Bailey</th><th>Ted Dabrowski</th><th>Rick Heidner</th><th>James Mendrick</th><th>Other</th><th>Undecided</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Osage Research (R)</td><td>January 20–23, 2026</td><td>412 (LV)</td><td>± 5.7%</td><td>57%</td><td>8%</td><td>9%</td><td>4%</td><td>–</td><td>22%</td></tr><tr><td>Emerson College/WGN-TV</td><td>January 3–5, 2026</td><td>432 (LV)</td><td>± 4.7%</td><td>34%</td><td>8%</td><td>1%</td><td>5%</td><td>4%</td><td>46%</td></tr></tbody></table>
Results
Results by county Bailey Dabrowski
<table><thead><tr><th>Party</th><th>Candidate</th><th>Votes</th><th>%</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td></td><td>Republican</td><td></td><td>302,221</td><td>53.37</td></tr><tr><td></td><td>Republican</td><td></td><td>163,935</td><td>28.95</td></tr><tr><td></td><td>Republican</td><td></td><td>54,185</td><td>9.57</td></tr><tr><td></td><td>Republican</td><td></td><td>45,960</td><td>8.11</td></tr><tr><td>Total votes</td><td>566,301</td><td>100.00</td></tr></tbody></table>
General election
Predictions
<table><thead><tr><th>Source</th><th>Ranking</th><th>As of</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>The Cook Political Report</td><td>Solid D</td><td>September 11, 2025</td></tr><tr><td>Inside Elections</td><td>Solid D</td><td>August 28, 2025</td></tr><tr><td>Sabato's Crystal Ball</td><td>Safe D</td><td>September 4, 2025</td></tr><tr><td>Race to the WH</td><td>Safe D</td><td>September 16, 2025</td></tr></tbody></table>
Polling
<table><thead><tr><th>Poll source</th><th>Date(s) administered</th><th>Sample size</th><th>Margin of error</th><th>JB Pritzker (D)</th><th>Darren Bailey (R)</th><th>Undecided</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Victory Research</td><td>November 20–24, 2025</td><td>1,208 (LV)</td><td>± 2.8%</td><td>54%</td><td>34%</td><td>12%</td></tr></tbody></table>