Former Illinois Republican Party chairman Don Tracy wins GOP primary for US Senate seat

CHICAGO (AP) — The contention to regenerate U.S. Sen Dick Durbin is shaping up successful Illinois aft Don Tracy won the Republican information successful Tuesday’s primary. The erstwhile president of the authorities Republican Party was among the best-known successful the six-candidate race.

The status of the Senate’s longtime No. 2 Democrat triggered a competitory run connected the Democratic side, drafting arsenic candidates U.S. Reps. Raja Krishnamoorthi and Robin Kelly and Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton, among others.

Furious fundraising and crisp elbows marked the race, which tested the power of Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker, whose sanction has been floated arsenic a 2028 statesmanlike contender. He backed Stratton.

From questions astir the cryptocurrency and AI industries to migration enforcement to fracturing U.S. enactment for Israel, the state's voters confronted specified issues arsenic ace PACS poured successful millions of dollars into hotly contested races.

A spate of House retirements led to unfastened seats with crowded contests crossed the Chicago country wherever the American Israel Public Affairs Committee and PACs supporting the cryptocurrency and AI industries spent large connected respective contests. Most superior winners successful the Democratic stronghold are expected to triumph successful November, shaping a caller procreation of enactment successful the state’s legislature delegation.

3 apical Democrats tally to regenerate Durbin

Ten Democrats and six Republicans ran for the spot aft Durbin announced his status aft 5 terms.

Tracy is an lawyer who led the Illinois Republican Party from 2021 to 2024. The authorities past had a Republican successful the Senate a decennary ago, erstwhile Mark Kirk was defeated by existent Democratic Sen. Tammy Duckworth.

The 3 starring Democrats successful the superior were Chicago-area U.S. Reps. Raja Krishnamoorthi and Robin Kelly and Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton.

Krishnamoorthi dominated fundraising and the airwaves, and was the archetypal connected tv with ads successful July. He started 2026 with implicit $15 cardinal connected manus aft spending much than $6 cardinal and raising much than $3.5 cardinal successful the last 3 months of past year, according to run concern records.

By comparison, Stratton started the twelvemonth with $1 cardinal aft raising astir the aforesaid magnitude and spending conscionable nether $1 cardinal successful the past 3 months of 2025. But past period Pritzker enactment $5 cardinal successful a ace PAC mostly aimed astatine helping get her elected.

She campaigned connected Pritzker's endorsement and lit into Krishnamoorthi astatine debates, peculiarly connected the five-term Democrat's voting grounds and donations from a contractor tied to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

“That is not the illustration of idiosyncratic who’s going to basal up to Donald Trump and combat for each of our communities,” Stratton said during a statement January. “I privation to abolish ICE.”

Krishnamoorthi, who has called to dismantle ICE, said helium donated the wealth to migrant rights groups. He argued that Stratton zeroed successful connected him due to the fact that she “didn’t person immoderate argumentation ideas. She had to attack.”

Rochelle Brockenborough, 64, said she voted for Stratton astatine the Dr. Martin Luther King Community Service Center successful Chicago.

“I wanted to marque definite determination was nary AIPAC money. That’s important to me,” she said, adding that U.S. taxation dollars shouldn't beryllium utilized to enactment Israel.

Meanwhile Kelly took contented with Pritzker’s involvement, arguing that a sitting politician should not interfere.

Shana Sumers, 36, said she voted for Kelly to enactment marginalized communities, specified arsenic transgender people. She besides called the Iran warfare “a large distraction.”

“We truly request to beryllium capable to spend housing, spend wellness care, spend to spell to the market store,” Sumers said.

Candidates touted ties to iconic Chicagoans including President Barack Obama and the precocious Rev. Jesse Jackson, who died past month. However, an endorsement touted posthumously by Stratton caused a snag arsenic Jackson's household withdrew it Monday, saying the draught was not meant for nationalist release.

Election officials hoped to spot engaged polls aft statewide turnout successful the 2024 superior was 19%, the lowest successful much than 5 decades.

Among issues reported Tuesday were complaints that canvass workers successful Madison County asked voters to amusement ID, drafting attraction from the section elections bureau and the authorities lawyer general. Officials successful the confederate Illinois region said the contented successful 1 precinct was resolved. Showing an ID astatine a polling spot is not required successful Illinois.

In the Republican primary, six candidates were connected the ballot including Don Tracy, erstwhile Illinois Republican Party chairman, and lawyer Jeannie Evans. Illinois past had a Republican successful the Senate a decennary ago, erstwhile Mark Kirk was defeated by existent Democratic Sen. Tammy Duckworth.

Crowded US House primaries

Dozens of candidates ran for 5 unfastened seats successful the Chicago area, wherever backing from groups supporting Israel and the cryptocurrency manufacture played an outsize role.

In Kelly’s 2nd district, which spans parts of the South Side and suburbs and dips into the cardinal Illinois farmlands, Cook County Commissioner Donna Miller emerged arsenic the victor of a crowded Democratic tract that included erstwhile U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr., lad of the precocious civilian rights leader, and authorities Sen. Robert Peters. Miller volition look disconnected successful November against Republican Michael Noack, who was unopposed.

Miller was backed by AIPAC, and that enactment prompted retiring U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky, of the 9th District, to retreat her endorsement of Miller.

The unfastened spot successful Krishnamoorthi's suburban 8th District attracted 8 Democratic candidates, including erstwhile U.S. Rep. Melissa Bean and Cook County Commissioner Kevin Morrison.

Two different House members are retiring aft agelong careers.

The 7th District of Rep. Danny Davis, who was archetypal elected successful 1996, covers parts of downtown, the West Side and suburbs. Thirteen Democrats were successful the contention including front-runners authorities Rep. La Shawn Ford and Chicago City Treasurer Melissa Conyears-Ervin.

Conyears-Ervin conceded to Ford precocious Tuesday, though the Associated Press has not declared a winner. Chad Koppie won for the GOP.

The superior tract for Schakowsky's 9th District spot was the astir crowded. Among the 15 Democratic candidates were Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss, integer creator Kat Abughazaleh and authorities Sen. Laura Fine. Four Republicans were running.

Another unfastened Chicago country spot was that of Rep. Jesus “Chuy” Garcia, who announced that helium would not question reelection citing wellness and idiosyncratic reasons. The Democratic superior was uncontested aft Garcia softly schemed to spot his main of staff, Patty Garcia, connected the ballot without immoderate Democratic competition.

Patty Garcia, who is not related to the congressman, volition look Republican Lupe Castillo, who besides ran unopposed, successful November.

Pritzker seeks a 3rd word arsenic governor

Pritzker, an heir to the Hyatt Hotel luck who was unopposed successful his primary, is the archetypal politician to question a 3rd word since the 1980s.

One of President Donald Trump’s astir vocal critics, Pritzker utilized his triumph code to tout his efforts to reason the assertive national migration crackdown successful Chicago past year. He criticized Republicans' agenda, called Trump's presidency an “unmitigated disaster” and vowing to assistance Democrats crossed Illinois triumph successful November.

“This is the combat of our lives,” helium told supporters astatine a downtown Chicago hotel. “Everything we attraction astir is nether siege from Washington.”

Pritzker besides made digs astatine Republican campaigner Darren Bailey, a erstwhile authorities legislator whom helium handily defeated successful 2022.

Bailey, among 4 Republicans vying for the nomination, said helium was present doing things differently. For one, helium focused much connected Chicago voters by choosing moving mate Aaron Del Mar, who leads the Republican Party successful Cook County.

Bailey criticized Pritzker’s leadership, including blaming him for rising costs, saying, “He’s conscionable different billionaire who has ne'er erstwhile felt the symptom he’s inflicted.”

Also successful the Republican superior were Ted Dabrowski, a existent property developer; Rick Heidner, a video gambling magnate; and DuPage County Sheriff James Mendrick.

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Associated Press journalists Mike Householder successful Chicago and Hannah Fingerhut successful Des Moines, Iowa, contributed.

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