That’s the backdrop for Nov. 3. Republicans have fielded a candidate in every county-level race on the DuPage ballot, in all five congressional districts that reach into the county, and in nearly every state legislative seat. Below is the full slate of contested races DuPage voters will see, organized by office, with a short description of each candidate. Names in bold are incumbents. Races marked open have no incumbent running.
Two things worth knowing before you read the ballot. First, the DuPage County Board has 12 seats up this year, not six — a redistricting lottery after the 2020 census gave every district one four-year seat and one two-year seat in 2026. Second, Democrats replaced their primary winners on the ballot in two races after the March primary: state Sen. Linda Holmes (42nd) withdrew in June and party chairmen installed Jared Ploger, who had just lost a House primary by 27 points; and Republicans swapped in Rhys Read for their 56th House primary winner, Ed Lapinski.
Statewide, the top of the ticket features an open U.S. Senate seat (Dick Durbin is retiring), Gov. JB Pritzker seeking a third term against 2022 nominee Darren Bailey, and an open comptroller’s office.
U.S. Senate (open — Durbin retiring)
Juliana Stratton (D), 60, Chicago. Two-term lieutenant governor and Pritzker’s running mate since 2018. A protégé of Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle, she ran Preckwinkle’s Cook County Justice Advisory Council before Preckwinkle and the SEIU slated her in 2015 to take out state Rep. Ken Dunkin, a Chicago Democrat who had bucked the unions and sided with Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner on key votes. She beat Dunkin in the 2016 primary and joined Pritzker’s ticket two years later. Won this year’s eight-way Senate primary with 40 percent, beating U.S. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi.
Don Tracy (R), 76, Springfield. Mount Sterling native and attorney, former chairman of the Illinois Republican Party (2021–24) and former chairman of the Illinois Gaming Board under Gov. Rauner. A member of the Tracy family of Mt. Sterling, which founded and still owns Dot Foods, the nation’s largest food redistributor and one of the wealthiest family enterprises in western Illinois. Won a six-way primary with 40 percent. Endorsed by Illinois Family Action, the social-conservative advocacy group, in the March primary.
Whitfield Harrington Jr. (American Center Party), 46, Schaumburg. Musician and minister.
Governor and Lieutenant Governor
JB Pritzker / Christian Mitchell (D). Pritzker, 61, of Chicago’s Gold Coast, first elected 2018, is seeking a third term. Mitchell, 39, of Chicago, is a former state representative and deputy governor replacing Stratton on the ticket. A graduate of St. Joseph High School in Westchester, Mitchell has publicly opposed tax credits for Catholic and other private schools. He is best known from his House days as one of the Black lawmakers who delivered the votes for same-sex marriage in 2013, when the Black Caucus held the balance in the Illinois House.
Darren Bailey / Aaron Del Mar (R). Bailey, 60, a Xenia farmer and former state senator, was the 2022 nominee and lost to Pritzker by 12 points. He won 53 percent in a four-way March primary that included DuPage Sheriff James Mendrick. Del Mar, 47, of Palatine, has been Palatine Township highway commissioner since 2016, owns Adrenaline Special Events, and was a 2022 lieutenant governor candidate.
Collin Corbett / Carolyn Schofield (Independent). Corbett, 40, of Palatine, is a longtime Republican campaign consultant who founded Cor Strategies in 2009 and left the GOP in April to run as an independent, reportedly with about $1 million in pledged money. Conservatives have turned on him hard: his firm was paid to help pass Wheaton District 200’s $151.5 million referendum in 2024 and is now consulting for Township High School District 214 as it weighs an $850 million property tax question. Former state Rep. Jeanne Ives, a Wheaton resident, told Republicans not to sign his petitions; Americans for Prosperity’s Brian Costin called him a “literal professional tax hiker” and compared his bid to Sam McCann’s union-funded 2018 run that drew votes from the GOP nominee. Schofield, 54, of Crystal Lake, spent 10 years on the McHenry County Board (2012–22) after a term on the Crystal Lake City Council, sits on the CMAP board, and was legislative director for the Illinois Senate Republican caucus from 2023 until leaving in April to join the ticket.
Attorney General
Kwame Raoul (D), 61, Chicago (River North) — incumbent, first elected 2018. Robert Fioretti (R), 73, Chicago (West Loop) — former Chicago alderman (2nd Ward) who has run for mayor, Cook County board president and state’s attorney; ran unopposed in the primary.
Secretary of State
Alexi Giannoulias (D), 50, Chicago (Old Town) — incumbent, first elected 2022. Diane Harris (R), 70, Joliet — small-business owner who spent 32 years at ComEd and served as an IBEW Local 15 steward; elected Joliet Junior College trustee, Joliet Public Library trustee, and a Republican precinct committeeman for more than 20 years. Running on walk-in DMV service, kiosks in all 102 counties, voter-roll cleanup, and ending the practice of issuing CDLs to illegal immigrants. Won a contested primary over Walter Adamczyk, 53–47. Endorsed by Illinois Family Action, the social-conservative advocacy group, in the March primary.
Comptroller (open — Susana Mendoza not running)
Margaret Croke (D), 35, Chicago (Lincoln Park) — state representative, first elected 2020, backed by Pritzker in a four-way primary she won with 35 percent. An Oak Park native and 2010 Oak Park and River Forest High School graduate, she went on to the University of Michigan. Her husband, Patrick Croke, was the Iowa lawyer for Barack Obama’s 2008 campaign and worked in Sen. Ted Kennedy’s Judiciary Committee office before becoming a Sidley Austin partner; he now co-heads the M&A boutique Croke Fairchild Duarte & Beres and was a 2016 Democrat convention delegate. Bryan Drew (R), 51, Benton — Franklin County attorney of 25 years who has argued before the Illinois Supreme Court and owns Café Bloom in Benton with his wife, Christen; four children. Filed more than 10,000 signatures and ran unopposed for the nomination. Pitching the office as a “watchdog to the tax-and-spend agendas” and says Illinois families are “tired of being treated like ATMs.”
Treasurer
Michael Frerichs (D), 53, Champaign — incumbent, first elected 2014, seeking a fourth term. A Rantoul native and Yale graduate (German studies) who taught English in Taiwan, he was working for the Coro Foundation, a liberal leadership nonprofit, when he first ran for the legislature at 24, losing to Republican state Rep. Tim Johnson in 1998 and then losing the 2000 Democrat primary for the same seat. He won Champaign County auditor in 2004 and squeaked into the state Senate in 2006 by 666 votes. Max Solomon (R), 55, Hazel Crest — Nigerian-born attorney and South Suburban College adjunct (and SAG-AFTRA actor) who has run for something in nearly every cycle since 2014, including governor in 2022 and state Senate in 2024. Got on the ballot this year as a primary write-in with about 23,000 votes; endorsed by Illinois Family Action.
U.S. House
Five congressional districts reach into DuPage. If you don’t know your number, the district descriptions below list the main communities in each.
3rd District — Delia Ramirez (D) vs. Angel Oakley (R)
Chicago’s Northwest Side (Logan Square, Belmont Cragin, Hermosa, Avondale); in DuPage: Bensenville, Wood Dale, Addison, West Chicago, Winfield, Carol Stream, Glendale Heights, Bartlett, Warrenville, and parts of Wheaton, Glen Ellyn, Lombard, Villa Park and Naperville; plus Elmwood Park, Franklin Park, Schiller Park and Elk Grove Village in Cook.
Delia Ramirez (D), 43, Chicago (Humboldt Park). First elected 2022; former state representative and a member of “the Squad,” the House’s progressive bloc. One of Congress’s most outspoken opponents of immigration enforcement and mass deportation — for years she described herself as the only member of Congress married to an undocumented immigrant. Her husband, Boris Hernandez, lived in the U.S. illegally for 24 years after arriving from Guatemala at 14; he received a green card in November 2024 but is not a U.S. citizen and cannot vote. She has said half her family is undocumented. Has campaigned this cycle for Squad-aligned Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed. Won 67 percent in 2024. Recommended by the political arm of Illinois’ largest teachers union, the Illinois Education Association.
Angel Oakley (R), 50, Wheaton. Illinois leader and former board member of Children’s Health Defense, the vaccine-skeptic group founded by Robert F. Kennedy Jr.; also a medical cannabis educator, CBD broker and Airbnb host. Ran as a write-in independent in this district in 2024; ran unopposed for the GOP nomination this year and reported no campaign contributions as of the primary.
4th District — open (Jesús “Chuy” García retiring)
Chicago’s Southwest Side (Little Village, Pilsen, Brighton Park, Gage Park); Cicero, Berwyn, Riverside, Brookfield, La Grange Park, Westchester, Bellwood, Maywood, Forest Park; in DuPage: Elmhurst, Hinsdale, Oak Brook and Clarendon Hills (parts).
Patty Garcia (D), 44, Cicero. García’s congressional chief of staff (no relation). She was the only Democrat on the primary ballot after García announced his retirement following the filing deadline, leaving the nomination to his hand-picked successor. Recommended by the political arm of Illinois’ largest teachers union, the Illinois Education Association.
Lupe Castillo (R), 65, Chicago (Little Village). The 2024 Republican nominee in this district; also ran for state representative in the 23rd District in 2022.
Ed Hershey (Working Class Party), 47, Chicago (Pilsen), and Chris Getty (Independent), 43, Lyons, are also on the ballot; Getty is the Lyons village president.
6th District — Sean Casten (D) vs. Niki Conforti (R)
Downers Grove, Wheaton, Glen Ellyn, Lombard, Elmhurst, Addison, Villa Park, Westmont, Lisle, Darien, Hinsdale, Clarendon Hills, Willowbrook, Burr Ridge, Oak Brook and Oakbrook Terrace in DuPage; Western Springs, La Grange, Oak Lawn, Orland Park, Tinley Park, Palos Hills, Bridgeview and Chicago’s Southwest Side (Beverly, Mount Greenwood, Clearing, Garfield Ridge) in Cook.
Sean Casten (D), 55, Downers Grove. First elected 2018, unseating Republican Peter Roskam. Seeking a fifth term. A member of the Congressional Freethought Caucus, the House’s caucus for atheists and secular members; in his 2018 race he told WTTW he stood by his embrace of Dan Savage, the atheist sex columnist known for profane attacks on Christians and Republicans, which the Family Research Council made the subject of an ad against him. Beat Conforti 54–46 in 2024, carrying DuPage 57–43. Recommended by the political arm of Illinois’ largest teachers union, the Illinois Education Association.
Niki Conforti (R), 63, Glen Ellyn. Energy consultant and Milton Township Republican committeeman; University of Chicago economics graduate with a George Washington University MBA. This is a rematch — she was the 2024 nominee and won 82 percent in the March primary. Has campaigned on the deficit, border security and Casten’s voting record. Endorsed by Illinois Family Action, the social-conservative advocacy group, in the March primary.
8th District — open (Raja Krishnamoorthi ran for Senate)
Schaumburg, Hoffman Estates, Streamwood, Elk Grove Village, Des Plaines and Mount Prospect (parts) in Cook; in DuPage: Bloomingdale, Roselle, Itasca, Hanover Park, and parts of Carol Stream, Glendale Heights, Addison, Wood Dale and Bartlett; Elgin, St. Charles and Geneva (parts) in Kane.
Melissa Bean (D), 64, Barrington. Represented this district from 2005 to 2011, when she lost to Tea Party Republican Joe Walsh by 291 votes. Since then a JPMorgan Chase and Mesirow executive. Won the eight-way primary with 32 percent behind more than $7 million in super PAC support. Recommended by the political arm of Illinois’ largest teachers union, the Illinois Education Association.
Jennifer Davis (R), 55, Huntley. Tech entrepreneur, co-founder and former CEO of Davisware, and author of “Living Exponentially.” Won a four-way primary with 51 percent; endorsed by the Daily Herald in the primary. Campaigning on business practices and family-first values.
11th District — Bill Foster (D) vs. Jeff Walter (R)
Naperville, Woodridge, Lisle, Darien, Burr Ridge, Warrenville and Winfield Township (parts) in DuPage; Aurora, Batavia, Geneva and St. Charles (parts) in Kane; Bolingbrook, Romeoville and Lemont in Will; Crystal Lake, McHenry and Woodstock in McHenry; and parts of Boone, DeKalb and Lake counties.
Bill Foster (D), 70, Naperville. Former Fermilab physicist, first elected in a 2008 special election. Seeking his ninth term overall.
Jeff Walter (R), 66, Elburn. Elburn village president since 2017 (trustee 2009–17), retired U.S. Navy Master Chief Petty Officer (1978–2000) and former Accenture senior manager. Won a four-way primary over Naperville’s Mike Pierce, 43–39. Running on unfunded mandates, regulation and Foster’s 16-year record.
Illinois Senate
21st District — Laura Ellman (D) vs. Julie Berkowicz (R)
Naperville, Warrenville, Lisle, Winfield, and parts of Wheaton, Glen Ellyn, Lombard, Downers Grove and West Chicago.
Laura Ellman (D), 60, Naperville. First elected 2018 in the wave that flipped this seat. Endorsed by Personal PAC, the state’s abortion-rights political committee, and by Planned Parenthood Illinois Action (Sept. 10). Endorsed by Equality Illinois, the homosexual rights advocacy group, in the primary (a general-election list had not been issued as of Sept. 21). Recommended by the political arm of Illinois’ largest teachers union, the Illinois Education Association. Julie Berkowicz (R), 65, Naperville. Former DuPage County Board member; this is a rematch of 2022.
23rd District — Suzy Glowiak Hilton (D) vs. Linda Polacek (R)
Elmhurst, Villa Park, Lombard, Addison, Oak Brook, Oakbrook Terrace, Glendale Heights and parts of Bensenville, Wood Dale, Bloomingdale and Glen Ellyn.
Suzy Glowiak Hilton (D), 68, Western Springs. Manufacturing engineer, first elected 2018 by narrowly unseating Republican Chris Nybo. Endorsed by Personal PAC, the state’s abortion-rights political committee, and by Planned Parenthood Illinois Action (Sept. 10). Endorsed by Equality Illinois, the homosexual rights advocacy group, in the primary (a general-election list had not been issued as of Sept. 21). Recommended by the political arm of Illinois’ largest teachers union, the Illinois Education Association. Linda Polacek (R), 50, Lombard. Marine Corps veteran, York Center Park District commissioner, and mother of two who helped run her family’s small business after attending Northwestern Business College; longtime volunteer with the VFW, Villa Park Women’s Club and Villa Park Chamber of Commerce. Running on property-tax relief, ethics reform and independent redistricting. Ran unopposed for the nomination.
24th District — Seth Lewis (R) vs. Ben McAdams (D)
Bartlett, Bloomingdale, Carol Stream, Hanover Park, Roselle, Itasca, Medinah, Wayne, West Chicago, and parts of Wheaton, Winfield, Glendale Heights, Streamwood and Schaumburg.
Seth Lewis (R), 57, Bartlett. Industrial engineer and former Bartlett fire district trustee. Endorsed by the Illinois AFL-CIO in July over McAdams — one of only three Republicans in contested races the labor federation backed statewide. Won a House seat in 2020 by unseating Democrat Diane Pappas, then won this Senate seat in 2022. One of two Republican state senators representing DuPage and the most important GOP hold on the county ballot. Ben McAdams (D), 30, Bloomingdale. Community organizer and self-described democratic socialist whose platform calls for barring ICE agents from operating in the district. Endorsed Sept. 15 by Our Revolution, the Bernie Sanders-founded democratic-socialist group, which touts his support for a billionaire wealth tax, a tax on Big Tech digital advertising, public investment in a “100% green energy economy,” regulation of data centers, and health care and housing as “rights.” Studied public-interest law and worked with legal nonprofits. Ran unopposed for the nomination. Endorsed by Personal PAC, the state’s abortion-rights political committee, and by Planned Parenthood Illinois Action (Sept. 10). Recommended by the political arm of Illinois’ largest teachers union, the Illinois Education Association.
33rd District — open (Cristina Castro not running)
Elgin, South Elgin, Algonquin, Carpentersville, Lake in the Hills, Huntley and Geneva; reaches DuPage in the Wayne/Bartlett/West Chicago area.
Michele Clark (D), 54, Algonquin. Director of development for the D300 Food Pantry. Ran unopposed. Endorsed by Personal PAC, the state’s abortion-rights political committee, and by Planned Parenthood Illinois Action (Sept. 10). Recommended by the political arm of Illinois’ largest teachers union, the Illinois Education Association. Danielle Penman (R), 49, St. Charles. Won a contested primary over Jessica Breugelmans, 59–41. Endorsed by Illinois Family Action, the social-conservative advocacy group, in the March primary.
39th District — Don Harmon (D), unopposed
Oak Park, River Forest, Elmwood Park, Melrose Park, Franklin Park, Northlake, Bellwood, Bensenville and Addison (parts), Chicago’s Northwest Side.
Don Harmon (D), 59, Oak Park. Senate president, first elected 2002. No Republican filed. Endorsed by Personal PAC, the state’s abortion-rights political committee, and by Planned Parenthood Illinois Action (Sept. 10). Endorsed by Equality Illinois, the homosexual rights advocacy group, in the primary (a general-election list had not been issued as of Sept. 21). Recommended by the political arm of Illinois’ largest teachers union, the Illinois Education Association.
41st District — John Curran (R), unopposed
Downers Grove, Woodridge, Lisle, Darien, Burr Ridge, Willowbrook, Westmont, Lemont, Homer Glen, and parts of Naperville and Bolingbrook.
John Curran (R), 53, Downers Grove. Senate minority leader, appointed 2017 and first elected 2018. No Democrat filed. Recommended by the political arm of Illinois’ largest teachers union, the Illinois Education Association — one of about 20 Republicans the union backed statewide this fall.
42nd District — open (Linda Holmes withdrew)
Aurora, North Aurora, Montgomery, Oswego, Boulder Hill, Bolingbrook, Romeoville, and parts of Naperville and Plainfield.
Jared Ploger (D), 50, Aurora. Teacher and president of AFT Local 604; former school board member. He lost the 84th House Democrat primary to Saba Haider by 27 points in March, then was installed on the Senate ballot in July by the Democrat chairmen of Kane, Kendall, DuPage and Will counties after 20-year incumbent Linda Holmes withdrew for health reasons. Endorsed by Personal PAC, the state’s abortion-rights political committee, and by Planned Parenthood Illinois Action (Sept. 10). Recommended by the political arm of Illinois’ largest teachers union, the Illinois Education Association. Edgardo “Eddie” Perez (R), 62, Aurora. Ran unopposed for the nomination.
Illinois House
7th District — Emanuel “Chris” Welch (D), unopposed
Hillside, Westchester, Bellwood, Maywood, Broadview, Berkeley, Forest Park, Melrose Park (parts), and a sliver of eastern DuPage.
Emanuel “Chris” Welch (D), 55, Hillside. House speaker, first elected 2012. No Republican filed. Endorsed by Personal PAC, the state’s abortion-rights political committee, and by Planned Parenthood Illinois Action (Sept. 10). Endorsed by Equality Illinois, the homosexual rights advocacy group, in the primary (a general-election list had not been issued as of Sept. 21). Recommended by the political arm of Illinois’ largest teachers union, the Illinois Education Association.
41st District — Janet Yang Rohr (D) vs. Ajay Gupta (R)
Naperville, Warrenville, and parts of Lisle and Aurora.
Janet Yang Rohr (D), 45, Naperville. First elected 2020. Endorsed by Personal PAC, the state’s abortion-rights political committee. Endorsed by Equality Illinois, the homosexual rights advocacy group, in the primary (a general-election list had not been issued as of Sept. 21). Recommended by the political arm of Illinois’ largest teachers union, the Illinois Education Association. Ajay Gupta (R), 61, Naperville. Ran unopposed for the nomination.
42nd District — Margaret DeLaRosa (D) vs. Stephanie Trussell (R)
Glen Ellyn, Lombard, Wheaton, Lisle, Downers Grove (parts), Flowerfield and Villa Park (parts).
Margaret DeLaRosa (D), 64, Glen Ellyn. Appointed in October 2025 when Terra Costa Howard resigned to take a judgeship; former Glenbard High School District 87 board president and Indivisible DuPage leader. The only incumbent Democrat legislator the Illinois AFL-CIO declined to endorse for November. Won a contested primary 59–41 over county board member Lynn LaPlante. Endorsed by Personal PAC, the state’s abortion-rights political committee, and by Planned Parenthood Illinois Action (Sept. 10). Endorsed by Equality Illinois, the homosexual rights advocacy group, in the primary (a general-election list had not been issued as of Sept. 21). Recommended by the political arm of Illinois’ largest teachers union, the Illinois Education Association. Stephanie Trussell (R), 61, Lombard. Conservative radio host who was Darren Bailey’s running mate for lieutenant governor in 2022.
45th District — Marti Deuter (D) vs. Gina Parrilli (R)
Elmhurst, Bensenville, Wood Dale, Addison, and parts of Villa Park and Lombard.
Martha “Marti” Deuter (D), 53, Elmhurst. First elected 2024. Endorsed by Personal PAC, the state’s abortion-rights political committee, and by Planned Parenthood Illinois Action (Sept. 10). Endorsed by Equality Illinois, the homosexual rights advocacy group, in the primary (a general-election list had not been issued as of Sept. 21). Recommended by the political arm of Illinois’ largest teachers union, the Illinois Education Association. Gina Parrilli (R), 56, Westmont. Ran unopposed for the nomination.
46th District — Diane Blair-Sherlock (D) vs. Pedro Jovany Mendoza (R)
Villa Park, Lombard, Glendale Heights, Oak Brook, Oakbrook Terrace, and parts of Addison and Glen Ellyn.
Diane Blair-Sherlock (D), 62, Villa Park. First elected 2022 to the seat Deb Conroy vacated to run for county board chair. Endorsed by Personal PAC, the state’s abortion-rights political committee, and by Planned Parenthood Illinois Action (Sept. 10). Endorsed by Equality Illinois, the homosexual rights advocacy group, in the primary (a general-election list had not been issued as of Sept. 21). Pedro Jovany Mendoza (R), 50, Villa Park. Ran unopposed for the nomination.
47th District — open (Amy Grant retiring)
Wheaton, Carol Stream, Winfield, West Chicago, and parts of Glen Ellyn and Warrenville.
This is the one Republican-held House seat in DuPage with no incumbent. Robert Vrankovich (R), 52, Carol Stream is running to hold it; Democrats nominated Erica Bray-Parker (D), 56, who outpolled him in primary turnout 12,266 to 6,866. Endorsed by Personal PAC, the state’s abortion-rights political committee, and by Planned Parenthood Illinois Action (Sept. 10). Recommended by the political arm of Illinois’ largest teachers union, the Illinois Education Association.
48th District — Jennifer Sanalitro (R) vs. Amanda Zahorak (D)
Hanover Park, Bartlett, Bloomingdale, Roselle, Itasca, Medinah, and parts of Streamwood, Schaumburg and Elgin.
Jennifer Sanalitro (R), 54, Hanover Park. First elected 2022; one of only two Republican House members representing DuPage. Recommended by the political arm of Illinois’ largest teachers union, the Illinois Education Association — one of about 20 Republicans the union backed statewide this fall. Amanda Zahorak (D), 31, Itasca. Ran unopposed for the nomination. Endorsed by Personal PAC, the state’s abortion-rights political committee.
49th District — Maura Hirschauer (D) vs. John Paul Augustynowicz (R)
Batavia, North Aurora, West Chicago, Warrenville, Winfield, and parts of Aurora, Geneva and St. Charles.
Maura Hirschauer (D), 48, Batavia. First elected 2020. Endorsed by Personal PAC, the state’s abortion-rights political committee, and by Planned Parenthood Illinois Action (Sept. 10). Recommended by the political arm of Illinois’ largest teachers union, the Illinois Education Association. John Paul Augustynowicz (R), 78, Warrenville. Ran unopposed for the nomination.
50th District — Barbara Hernandez (D), unopposed
Aurora, Montgomery, and the DuPage portions of Aurora and Naperville.
Barbara Hernandez (D), 34, Aurora. Appointed 2019. No Republican filed. Endorsed by Personal PAC, the state’s abortion-rights political committee, and by Planned Parenthood Illinois Action (Sept. 10). Endorsed by Equality Illinois, the homosexual rights advocacy group, in the primary (a general-election list had not been issued as of Sept. 21). Recommended by the political arm of Illinois’ largest teachers union, the Illinois Education Association.
56th District — Michelle Mussman (D) vs. Rhys Read (R)
Schaumburg, Elk Grove Village, Hoffman Estates, Rolling Meadows, Roselle, Hanover Park and Bloomingdale (parts).
Michelle Mussman (D), 54, Schaumburg. First elected 2010. Endorsed by Personal PAC, the state’s abortion-rights political committee, and by Planned Parenthood Illinois Action (Sept. 10). Endorsed by Equality Illinois, the homosexual rights advocacy group, in the primary (a general-election list had not been issued as of Sept. 21). Recommended by the political arm of Illinois’ largest teachers union, the Illinois Education Association. Rhys Read (R), 69. Slated by Republican leaders after primary winner Ed Lapinski left the ballot.
65th District — Dan Ugaste (R) vs. Ricky Rivard (D)
Geneva, St. Charles, South Elgin, Campton Hills, Wayne, and parts of West Chicago and Batavia.
Dan Ugaste (R), 62, Geneva. Attorney, first elected 2018; the only Republican House member whose district reaches DuPage from the west. Ricky Rivard (D), 45, St. Charles. Ran unopposed for the nomination. Endorsed by Personal PAC, the state’s abortion-rights political committee, and by Planned Parenthood Illinois Action (Sept. 10).
77th District — Norma Hernandez (D) vs. Anthony Airdo (R)
Melrose Park, Franklin Park, Northlake, Stone Park, Bensenville, and parts of Addison and Elmhurst.
Norma Hernandez (D), 36, Melrose Park. First elected 2022. Endorsed by Personal PAC, the state’s abortion-rights political committee, and by Planned Parenthood Illinois Action (Sept. 10). Endorsed by Equality Illinois, the homosexual rights advocacy group, in the primary (a general-election list had not been issued as of Sept. 21). Recommended by the political arm of Illinois’ largest teachers union, the Illinois Education Association. Anthony Airdo (R), 64, Melrose Park. Ran unopposed for the nomination.
81st District — Anne Stava (D) vs. Laura Hois (R)
Downers Grove, Lisle, Woodridge, and parts of Naperville and Bolingbrook.
Anne Stava (D), 40, Naperville. First elected 2018 (as Anne Stava-Murray). Laura Hois (R), 67, Downers Grove. Ran unopposed for the nomination.
82nd District — Nicole La Ha (R), unopposed
Homer Glen, Lemont, Darien, Burr Ridge, Willowbrook, and parts of Woodridge, Bolingbrook and Orland Park.
Nicole La Ha (R), 45, Homer Glen. Appointed 2023, elected 2024. No Democrat filed.
84th District — open (Stephanie Kifowit ran for comptroller)
Aurora, Oswego, Montgomery, Boulder Hill, and parts of Naperville and Plainfield.
Saba Haider (D), 43, Naperville. DuPage County Board member; beat Jared Ploger in the primary 63–37. Endorsed by Personal PAC, the state’s abortion-rights political committee, and by Planned Parenthood Illinois Action (Sept. 10). Recommended by the political arm of Illinois’ largest teachers union, the Illinois Education Association. Brian Scopa (R), 46, Naperville. Retired Navy commander who served 22 years as a surface warfare officer, with six combat deployments, chief engineer of a destroyer and command of a Navy Reserve center; holds a master’s in national strategic studies. A Richland, Washington native and 1996 Hanford High School graduate; father of three and vice chair of the Naperville Township Republican Organization. Says he ran after the party struggled to field candidates in tough districts. Ran unopposed for the nomination.
85th District — Dee Avelar (D) vs. Chris Metcalfe (R)
Bolingbrook, Romeoville, and parts of Plainfield, Aurora, Naperville and Woodridge.
Dagmara “Dee” Avelar (D), 39, Bolingbrook. First elected 2020. Endorsed by Personal PAC, the state’s abortion-rights political committee, and by Planned Parenthood Illinois Action (Sept. 10). Endorsed by Equality Illinois, the homosexual rights advocacy group, in the primary (a general-election list had not been issued as of Sept. 21). Recommended by the political arm of Illinois’ largest teachers union, the Illinois Education Association. Chris Metcalfe (R), 70, Bolingbrook. Ran unopposed for the nomination.
DuPage County
County Board Chair — Deb Conroy (D) vs. Gary Grasso (R)
The marquee race. Deb Conroy (D), 64, Elmhurst, became the first Democrat to chair the board in more than 75 years when she beat Republican Greg Hart 51–49 in 2022, after 10 years as a state representative. Gary Grasso (R), 75, Burr Ridge, is the former Burr Ridge mayor and former county board member who lost the 2022 Republican primary for this office to Hart and won the nomination this time. Primary turnout ran 96,000 Democrat to 42,000 Republican.
Sheriff — open (James Mendrick ran for governor)
Sean T. Noonan (R), 52, Elmhurst. Oakbrook Terrace police officer and former DuPage County Board member (District 2, 2012–20). Won a two-way primary with 67 percent.
Peter Joseph Coolidge (D), 54. Twenty-eight-year veteran of the DuPage County Sheriff’s Office, where he worked in corrections, law enforcement and courthouse administration from 1996 until he retired in February 2024. Ran unopposed for the nomination.
Two episodes from Coolidge’s years at the office have followed him into the campaign.
The first is the 2014 killing of Heather Jacobi, a 32-year-old nurse at the DuPage County Jail and a mother of three, who was strangled on March 28 of that year. Her ex-boyfriend, Jose Loera, pleaded guilty to first-degree murder and is serving 48 years. Coolidge was not accused of any role in her death, but Aurora police detectives interviewed him two days later, on March 30, and the substance of what he told them is redacted from the report. According to the report, he agreed to screenshot his Facebook messages with Jacobi and send them to a detective’s work email, and gave a taped statement recorded on the sheriff’s own in-house surveillance system. Coolidge was married at the time and was allegedly having an affair with Jacobi. On the night she was killed he had sent her a Facebook message reading “good night beautiful” — the message Loera saw before he killed her.
The second is a 2018 harassment complaint filed with Winfield police by a Central DuPage Hospital employee, who said Coolidge sent her unwanted texts and Facebook messages for weeks after she asked him to stop, and that she found a card signed by him on her car windshield. Officers advised her to keep screenshots and block him; she declined to press charges but asked that he not contact her again. The case was classified as harassment and closed with no action, and Coolidge acknowledged a warning and agreed to comply.
Kristina McCloy, founder of Concerned Parents of Illinois, has seized on both, saying Coolidge has “no moral compass” and calling him “a complete pervert. He cannot control himself with women.” Her argument: “If Coolidge cannot govern himself with women, he does not get to govern their safety.” Coolidge has not publicly responded to either matter. He is also a defendant in a pending federal civil suit alleging excessive force during a 2024 courthouse security incident, in which a judge found the security video did not clearly contradict the plaintiff’s account.
County Clerk — open (Jean Kaczmarek defeated in primary)
Paula Deacon Garcia (D), 65, Lisle. County board member since 2020; ousted two-term incumbent Jean Kaczmarek in the primary, 57–43, after a running feud between Kaczmarek’s office and the county board over its finances and operations. Patricia Kladis-Schiappa (R), 53. Ran unopposed for the nomination.
County Treasurer — Gwen Henry (R) vs. Yeena Yoo (D)
Gwen Henry (R), 85, Wheaton. Longtime treasurer, first elected 2010, and one of the few Republicans still holding countywide office in DuPage. Yeena Yoo (D), 47. County board member from District 2, elected 2022.
Regional Superintendent of Schools — Amber Quirk (R) vs. Rebecca Gamboa (D)
Amber Quirk (R), 50 is the incumbent regional superintendent. Rebecca Gamboa (D) ran essentially unopposed for the nomination.
County Board
Twelve seats — a four-year and a two-year seat in each of six districts. Democrats hold a comfortable majority on the 18-member board; four Republican incumbents are defending seats this year.
District 1 (Bloomingdale, Itasca, Wood Dale, Bensenville, Addison, Elmhurst parts)
- 4-year: Michael Childress (D), 70, Bloomingdale, elected 2022, vs. Eric Poplonski (R), 39, Bloomingdale, attorney.
- 2-year (open): Melissa Villanueva (D), 37, Elmhurst, owner of Brewpoint Coffee, vs. Paula Pezza (R), 65.
District 2 (Elmhurst, Villa Park, Lombard, Oak Brook, Westmont, Downers Grove parts)
- 4-year (open): Christopher Espinoza (D), 25, Downers Grove, a staffer in Senate President Harmon’s office and District 99 school board member, vs. Robert “Rusty” Stevens (R).
- 2-year (open): Mary Rada Walters (D), 40 vs. Theresa McClear (R), 58.
District 3 (Hinsdale, Clarendon Hills, Downers Grove, Darien, Burr Ridge, Willowbrook, Woodridge, Naperville parts)
- 4-year: Kari Galassi (R), 54, Hinsdale, CPA, elected 2022, vs. Marcus King (D), 31, Willowbrook, a Wheaton native and Wheaton-Warrenville South graduate (SIU Carbondale, 2011) who has worked in government and government-funded progressive nonprofits since college.
- 2-year: Brian Krajewski (R), 64, Downers Grove, CPA and attorney, on the board since 2010 and Downers Grove mayor 1999–2007, vs. Ericka Polanco-Webb (D), 41.
District 4 (Glen Ellyn, Wheaton, Lombard, Glendale Heights)
- 4-year: Grant Eckhoff (R), 67, Wheaton, on the board since 2002 and a former Wheaton city councilman (1989–2002), vs. Paula McGowen (D), 71, Glen Ellyn, who works in home rentals and has served as a DuPage Regional Board of School Trustees member and Milton Township trustee.
- 2-year: Mary FitzGerald Ozog (D), 68, Glen Ellyn, elected 2018, who called for limits on policing after the death of George Floyd and backs the SAFE-T Act, the law that ended cash bail in Illinois, vs. Isobel Michaud (R), 28, Wheaton, an executive recruiter for technology and biotech firms, a Wheaton native and Wheaton-Warrenville South graduate who has run her family’s homeowners association in Maine since she was 18. She campaigns on “Hope, Energy and Integrity” — public safety, fiscal responsibility, small business and workforce development — has questioned the county’s budget growth and its election administration, and says of her age: “Every leadership position I have taken, I have lowered the median age by at least 20 years.”
District 5 (Naperville, Warrenville, Aurora parts, Lisle parts)
- 4-year (open — incumbent Sadia Covert lost primary): Ian Holzhauer (D), 43, Naperville, city councilman since 2021 and attorney, vs. Chris Jacks (R), 57.
- 2-year: Dawn DeSart (D), 63, Naperville, elected 2018, vs. Daniel Alejandro Lomeli (R).
District 6 (Carol Stream, West Chicago, Winfield, Bartlett, Hanover Park, Wayne, Warrenville parts)
- 4-year: James F. “Jim” Zay (R), 59, Carol Stream, long-serving board member, vs. Jesse Gutierrez (D), 57.
- 2-year: Melissa Martinez (D), 36, appointed to fill a vacancy and making her first run, vs. Kathleen Zander (R), 56.
Forest Preserve District
- President: Daniel Hebreard (D), 49, Woodridge, first elected 2018, vs. Carl Schultz (R), 69.
- District 1 (open): Susan Smentek (D), 60, Elmhurst, an Elmhurst park board member who works for the Glen Ellyn Park District, vs. Carolyn Ubriaco (R), 65.
- District 2: Tina Tyson-Dunne (D), 48, Lombard, incumbent, vs. William “Bill” Wehrle (R), 72.
- District 5: Barbara O’Meara (D), 67, incumbent, vs. Michael Farmer (R), 63.
Judicial
3rd District Appellate Court (McDade vacancy): Margaret “Peggy” O’Connell (D) vs. Jason Helland (R), 50, the Grundy County state’s attorney.
18th Judicial Circuit, 4th Subcircuit: Christina Kye (D), 42 vs. Michael Fleming (R).
18th Judicial Circuit, 5th Subcircuit: Terra Costa Howard (D), 55, Glen Ellyn, the former state representative appointed to the bench last fall, is unopposed. No Republican filed.
Judicial retention questions and any local referendums will be listed separately by the county clerk.
