Illinois Governor Primary Election Results 2026: Live Updates

CHICAGO - As Gov. JB Pritzker asks Illinois voters for a third term in office, multiple Republican candidates have lined up for the opportunity to challenge him.

Darren Bailey, the 2022 GOP nominee for governor, is again seeking the Republican nomination to take on Pritzker in November's general election. Bailey has led the pack of primary contenders, which included Ted Dabrowski, James Mendrick, and Rick Heidner, throughout the primary campaign.

The governor is elected statewide to four-year terms.

Polls close across Illinois at 7 p.m. CT, with results expected shortly after.

2026 Illinois Primary Governor Results

Illinois Primary Election Results 2026

For full statewide coverage, view our Illinois primary election results 2026.

About the Illinois Governor primary race

The backstory:

Bailey first garnered attention for his stance against pandemic-era restrictions imposed by Pritzker and became the top choice of Republican voters in the Prairie State for his MAGA-esque attacks on Chicago and Democratic leaders.

But after losing to Pritzker by double digits in 2022, including by a nearly three-to-one margin in the voter-rich Cook County, Bailey took a different tack this cycle in an effort to attract more support in Democratic strongholds.

Bailey picked Aaron Del Mar, the chairman of the Cook County GOP, as his running mate for lieutenant governor. After the death of four family members, including his son, in a tragic helicopter crash last year, Bailey told the Chicago Tribune about his heightened "compassion centers."

This year's election also comes as Pritzker has increasingly been named as a potentially serious contender for the Democratic nomination for president in 2028. His growing national profile, more frequent appearances on national television and rhetorical tussles with President Donald Trump have all served as further clues for political pundits about Pritzker's future.

The governor has deflected questions about his future plans, saying he's been more focused on running for re-election as governor, although he did tell Vox that he was "flattered" by all the presidential buzz. 

Still, the election calendar will almost certainly lead to more questions for the governor, as presidential candidates begin announcing their plans typically within weeks of a midterm election.

What's next:

The general election is slated for Nov. 3.