Pritzker among 9 candidates running for Illinois governor. Meet the candidates

• Gov. JB Pritzker faces several contenders who wish to be the governor of the Prairie State.
• Here are the official candidates, per the Illinois State Board of Elections.

Several candidates who seek to be the next governor of Illinois have officially filed candidacy petitions with the Illinois State Board of Elections.

Hundreds of candidates stood in line at the State Board of Elections in Springfield on Oct. 27 to file their petitions and submit the necessary 5,000 signatures, among other requirements. The filing period ended Nov. 3.

More: U.S. Senate candidates highlight priorities, campaign strategy in Springfield

• Current Gov. JB Pritzker is running again as a Democrat. Christian Mitchell is running for Lieutenant Governor.
• Patricia Tillman is a Democrat. Joseph Mosley is running for Lieutenant Governor. Tillman is a former candidate for alderman in Chicago.
• Darren Bailey is a Republican. Running for Lieutenant Governor is Aaron Del Mar. Bailey is a former state senator and farmer from Clay County. He ran for governor in 2022, losing against Pritzker. With 70% of precincts counted, Pritzker had 54.6% of the vote compared to 42.1% for Bailey. Bailey’s son, daughter-in-law and grandchildren died in a helicopter crash in October 2025.
• Ted Dabrowski is a Republican. Carrie Mendoza is running for Lieutenant Governor. Dabrowski is currently the President of Wirepoints, a nonprofit outlet that delivers "original research and commentary about Illinois’ economy and government," according to the website.
• James Mendrick is a Republican. Running for Lieutenant Governor is Robert Renteria. Mendrick is currently the DuPage County Sheriff. He is running because "for too long, crime has surged, budgets have spiraled out of control, businesses have fled, and our children’s education has suffered," his website reads.
• Gregg Moore is a Republican. He has ran for the position in 2010 and 2014. Moore sued the State Board of Elections in 2022 for not being placed on the ballot. He lost the suit because he filed his nomination papers after the statutory deadline.
• Rick Heidner is a Republican. Christina Neitzke-Troike is running for Lieutenant Governor. Heidner owns Gold Rush Gaming. Heidner has contributed more than $250,000 to Illinois Democrats and Republicans over the past two decades, including Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle, the Chicago Sun-Times reported.
• Joseph Severino is a Republican. Running for Lieutenant Governor is Rantch Isquith. Severino bills himself as "Patriotic Republican Candidate" for governor who has a "30-year track record of successful small business ownership," according to his website.
• Max Solomon is a Republican. Geno Young is running for Lieutenant Governor. Solomon ran for the position in 2022. He unsuccessfully ran for Illinois State Senate District 19 in 2024.

More: Bill legalizing physician-assisted suicide heads to Pritzker’s desk

When is the election?

The Primary Election is March 17, 2026. Primaries determine which candidates run in the general election.

The General Election is Nov. 3, 2026. In such elections, people vote for federal, state, and local officials.

More information can be found at elections.il.gov.

Tom Ackerman covers breaking news and trending news along with general news for the Springfield State Journal-Register. He can be reached at tackerman@gannett.com.