The 2026 election is going to be a busy time for Illinois voters, with numerous members of Congress not seeking reelection and with a hotly contested governor’s race.
That race will feature incumbent Gov. J.B. Pritzker, looking to be the first Democrat to ever be elected to a third term in office. He has a new running mate this time around in the form of deputy governor Christian Mitchell, but he’ll aim to retain his office even as rumors swirl that he could potentially run for president in 2028.
Pritzker will be opposed by several high-profile Republicans, including former State Sen. Darren Bailey, DuPage County Sheriff James Mendrick, and former WirePoints president Ted Dabrowski.
Here is a rundown of who is on the primary ballot, with that election set for Tuesday, March 17.
Democrats:
Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Christian Mitchell
Pritzker is running for a third term as governor, and is vowing to continue building on his resume in office. His campaign website highlights his office’s doubling of the state’s Child Tax Credit, and of lowering the cost of child care for a majority of Illinois’ families.
He has also repeatedly expressed commitment to protecting reproductive rights and buying medical debt for thousands of state residents. He also touts his administration’s balanced budgets, and continuing to pay off debt the state had incurred under previous administrations.
Mitchell, a former state representative, joined the Pritzker administration as a deputy governor in 2019. He focused on efforts to encourage clean energy usage, assault weapons bans and infrastructure improvements, according to his campaign bio.
Republicans:
Ted Dabrowski and Dr. Carrie Mendoza
Dabrowski is the former president of Wirepoints, a media outlet focused on conservative economic policies and financial data. He also worked at the Illinois Policy Institute from 2011 to 2017, according to his campaign website. Dabrowski has pushed for a full audit of the state’s finances, cutting and capping property tax rates, and repealing the state’s energy policies focused on developing renewable energy investment.
Mendoza has decades of experience as an emergency medicine physician, working in a variety of hospitals, according to her campaign biography. She has sought to reduce bureaucracy within the medical field, and she holds multiple patents on medical technologies.
James Mendrick and Dr. Robert Renteria
DuPage County Sheriff James Mendrick was the first Republican to throw his hat into the ring for the Republican primary. His focus according to his campaign website is public safety initiatives, including repeal of the SAFE-T Act, and in reducing government spending and cutting taxes for businesses in the state.
Renteria is a veteran of the U.S. Army and is a prolific author and activist, according to his campaign biography. He has sought to encourage teens and young adults to stay away from gangs and drugs, and has worked with numerous schools and churches on outreach programs for at-risk youth, according to his biography.
Darren Bailey and Aaron Del Mar
Bailey, a former state senator, ran unsuccessfully for governor of Illinois in 2022, but launched a second campaign late last year. Bailey is a farmer in southern Illinois, and also founded a private Christian school. His campaign is focused on reducing property taxes, vetoing new tax levies by the state, and on increasing parental involvement in education decisions, according to his website.
Del Mar, an entrepreneur, has served as a councilman in the village of Palatine and has worked for numerous community organizations in pushing for increased public safety and investment in infrastructure, according to his campaign biography.
Rick Heidner and Christina Neitzke-Troike
Heidner, a businessman, has led numerous recognizable companies including Ricky Rocket’s and Prairie State Energy, according to his website. He also invests heavily in commercial real estate. His campaign platform is focused heavily on affordability, while also addressing issues of public safety.
Neitzke-Troike, the mayor of Homer Glen, is focused on addressing the impact of state taxes on local budgets, and on encouraging reductions in property taxes and other levies on Illinois residents, according to her website.
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