CHICAGO (WLS) — As Illinois steps into the New Year, the state’s political landscape is set for a whirlwind of activity. With a primary scheduled for March and midterm elections looming in November, significant changes are anticipated within the congressional delegation.
Adding to the political excitement, Illinois will also witness a gubernatorial race, and the Chicago mayoral contest will kick off in the fall.
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For political enthusiasts and scholars alike, 2026 promises to be a landmark year filled with numerous races and a wide array of candidates, particularly as many congressional seats could open up for the first time. Voters will have a lot to consider with these developments.
“This year is shaping up to be dynamic and unpredictable, especially for Democrats,” commented ABC7 Political Analyst Laura Washington. “There are four congressional races with open seats that will be fiercely contested.”
The primary elections have attracted a large pool of candidates eager to contest the Democrat-held House seats.
In the competition to succeed Rep. Danny Davis, 13 Democratic candidates are vying for a chance in the 7th District primary. The 9th District, previously held by Rep. Jan Schakowsky, has drawn 17 hopefuls. With Reps. Robin Kelly and Raja Krishnamoorthi stepping down to pursue U.S. Senate seats, Kelly’s 2nd District sees 10 Democrats in the primary, while Krishnamoorthi’s 8th District features eight contenders.
“A lot of women are running, which is very good. You know, some old timers are running, but the progressive young folks are doing a heck of a job. They’re not so much talking issues as they are talking how much Donald Trump doesn’t belong in the White House,” said Mercury Public Affairs Illinois Co-Chair Thom Serafin.
Sen. Dick Durbin’s decision to retire set the political dominoes in motion and opened the door for a combined 17 Democrats and Republicans to run to replace him.
“I think the generational change has been a long time coming, and a lot of people are excited about getting some fresh faces and some new perspectives in Congress, particularly from Illinois,” Washington said.
Mayor Brandon Johnson’s budget battle defeat to a group of renegade Chicago City Council members could make for a challenging new year for him.
“The city council is emboldened. They won a big victory with this budget, and I think that they’re going to be loaded for bear, and they’re going to be looking for more victories, and they’re not going to be holding back,” Washington said.
A weakened Johnson could spur a lot of challengers to file petitions next fall to run against him.
“I think he’s going to be one of the two candidates in the runoff in the spring of ’27 which is, you know, a long way away, but everybody’s positioning themselves now for getting into that race,” Serafin said.
Billionaire Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker is running for a third term, with six Republicans set to square off in the primary to challenge him in November.
“I think JB Pritzker’s job is going to be to get out the vote, to make a very definitive statement by winning in a landslide. He’s going to want to really win big this time around, particularly because he has presidential aspirations,” Washington said.
With so many races, that also means voters will face an avalanche of political ads on TV, in their mailboxes and on their electronic devices. The primary election is only two-and-a-half months away.
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