The deadline has passed for candidates to file petitions to run for state and federal offices in the March 15 Illinois primary election, and there will be comparatively little action in northern Illinois.
In the seven Congressional Districts that WNIJ News will track this election cycle, only Districts 6 and 8 will have primaries for both parties. Three of them (Districts 11, 16 and 17) will have only Republican primaries, and District 14 will have only a Democratic primary. Only newly appointed Republican Rep. Darrin LaHood of Peoria has no opposition in either his own or the other party.
In the U.S. Senate race, incumbent Republican Mark Kirk faces two challengers in his own party, and three Democrats are seeking the nomination to oppose the GOP winner.
The office of Comptroller is the only statewide race to fill the uncompleted term of Judy Barr Topinka, who died shortly after winning re-election in 2014. There will be no primary race, however, since incumbent Republican appointee Leslie Munger is all alone on her side of the ballot and only one Democrat filed petitions.
Of the seven Illinois Senate districts we will follow, only one will have a primary contest. Three Republicans have filed in District 26. Only the incumbents filed in Districts 32, 34, 35 and 37, and only one candidate filed for each party in Districts 25 and 38.
There are 20 Illinois House races on the WNIJ list, but only six of them will have primary contests – and only District 72 in the Quad Cities area will have primaries in both parties. Four districts (Districts 63, 66, 74 and 76) will have only Republican primaries, and only District 67 will have just a Democratic primary. In seven of the districts, only the incumbent filed nominating positions; and only one person from each party filed in four others.
Here is the complete list of candidates who filed petitions with the Illinois State Board of Elections for these races (In all cases, (I) indicates the incumbent officeholder):
U.S. House of Representatives
District Party Name Town
- 6 D Amanda Howland Lake Zurich
- 6 D Robert Marshall Burr Ridge
- 6 R Peter J. Roskam (I) Wheaton
- 6 R Gordon (Jay) Kinzler Glen Ellyn
- 6 R Gerald "Jerry" Drabik Glen Ellyn
- 8 D Michael Noland Elgin
- 8 D Raja Krishnamoorthi Schaumburg
- 8 D Deborah M. Bullwinkel Villa Park
- 8 R Peter "Pete" DiCanni Elmhurst
- 8 R Joseph J. Hantsch Wood Dale
- 8 R Andrew Straw Streamwood
- 8 R Richard Evans Elgin
- 11 D Bill Foster (I) Naperville
- 11 R Tania Khouri Aurora
- 11 R Herman B. White Naperville
- 11 R Nick Stella Darien
- 14 D Jesse Maggitt Plainfield
- 14 D Jim Walz Gurnee
- 14 D John Hosta Spring Grove
- 14 R Randall M. "Randy" Hultgren Plano
- 16 R Adam Kinzinger (I) Channahon
- 16 R Colin M. McGroarty Rockford
- 17 D Cheri Bustos (I) Moline
- 17 R Patrick Harlan Galesburg
- 17 R Jack Bocarossa Milan
- 18 R Darrin LaHood Peoria
U.S. Senate
Party Name Town
- D Napoleon Harris Harvey
- D Tammy Duckworth Hoffman Estates
- D Andrea Zopp Chicago
- R Mark Steven Kirk (I) Highland Park
- R James T. Marter Oswego
- R Elizabeth Diane Pahlke Arlington Heights
Illinois State Comptroller
Party Name Town
- R Leslie G Munger (I) Lincolnshire
- D Susana Mendoza Chicago
Illinois Senate
District Party Name Town
- 25 D Corrinne M. Pierog St. Charles
- 25 R Jim Oberweis (I) Sugar Grove
- 26 R Dan McConchie Hawthorn Woods
- 26 R Casey Urlacher Mettawa
- 26 R Martin McLaughlin Barrington
- 32 R Pamela Althoff (I) McHenry
- 34 D Steve Stadelman (I) Caledonia
- 35 R Dave Syverson (I) Rockford
- 37 R Chuck Weaver (I) Peoria
- 38 D Christine Benson Ottawa
- 38 R Sue Rezin (I) Morris
Illinois House of Representatives
District Party Name Town
- 49 R Mike Fortner (I) West Chicago
- 50 R Keith Wheeler (I) Oswego
- 51 R Nick Sauer Lake Barrington
- 52 R David McSweeney (I) Barrington Hills
- 63 D Jack Franks (I) Marengo
- 63 R Steven Reick Harvard
- 63 R Jeffrey Lichte McHenry
- 64 R Barbara Wheeler (I) Crystal Lake
- 65 R Steven Andersson (I) Geneva
- 66 R Allen Skillicorn East Dundee
- 66 R Dan Willbrandt West Dundee
- 66 R Carolyn Schofield Crystal Lake
- 66 R Paul Serwatka Lakewood
- 66 D Nancy A. Zettler Algonquin
- 67 D Wladimiro Aguirre Rockford
- 67 D Litesa E. Wallace (I) Rockford
- 67 D Lisa Jackson Rockford
- 68 D Tricia Sweeney Loves Park
- 68 R John Cabello (I) Machesney Park
- 69 R Joe Sosnowski (I) Rockford
- 69 D Angelique Bodine Poplar Grove
- 70 R Robert Pritchard (I) Hinckley
- 71 R Tony M. McCombie Savanna
- 71 D Mike Smiddy (I) Hillsdale
- 72 R Brandi McGuire Milan
- 72 R Jordan Thoms Rock Island
- 72 D Jeffrey D. Jacobs Moline
- 72 D Michael W. Halpin Rock Island
- 72 D Katelyn Hotle Rock Island
- 72 D Glen Evans Rock Island
- 73 R Ryan Spain Peoria
- 74 D Bill Butts Galesburg
- 74 R Daniel L. Swanson Alpha
- 74 R Michael J. DeSutter Woodhull
- 74 R Wayne Saline Rio
- 75 D Martha J. Shugart Morris
- 75 R John D. Anthony (I) Morris
- 76 R Jacob L. Bramel Marseilles
- 76 R Jerry Lee Long Streator
- 76 D Andy Skoog LaSalle
- 89 R Brian W. Stewart (I) Freeport
- 90 R Tom Demmer (I) Dixon