Welcome to campaign season!
Lest anyone think the conclusion of primary election voting today means a reprieve from the barrage of yard signs and other advertising, be reminded that anyone who thought they might emerge victorious tonight stood ready with a strategy for the 33 weeks before the general election.
There are significant differences between this year and the two previous statewide general elections. In 2022, the last time we chose a governor and other state offices, the primary was in June, leaving only 19 weeks. In 2024, the top of the ticket was the White House, and many of the currently contested Congressional seats were much more certain, with longtime incumbents still seeking what would be their final terms. Add to that two open primaries for Dick Durbin’s U.S. Senate seat, and the advertising has taken a different tone from when Springfield is the main prize.
Numbers to keep in mind when processing returns tonight include the 2022 GROP gubernatorial primary drawing about 797,000 votes split across six tickets (only four this year) and then almost 1.74 million for the eventual Republican ticket in November. In the 2018 GOP primary, only 744,000 turned out, with about 22,000 ballots separating the incumbent governor and the challenger, but more than 1.76 million Illinoisans voted red that November.
Political operatives know those numbers cold, but also operate on a different frequency. They know when to start petition circulation for new party and independent candidates, and to promote the imminent reopening of the voter registration process. The State Board of Elections has a helpful calendar of every possible date for candidates, individuals and government officials at elections.il.gov/Main/CalendarEventsAll.aspx. For questions specific to your precinct, it’s always best to contact the local election authority.
(Quick break for education: Why don’t we just say check with the county clerk? Because the clerk is only the election authority in 101 of the state’s 102 counties. Peoria County has a county election commission, and there are six municipal commissions – in Bloomington, Chicago, Danville, East St. Louis, Galesburg and Rockford.)
As observed at the conclusion of any voting cycle, the business of running the state has far more impact on readers’ lives than the political machinations of election season, but it’s important to understand how campaign considerations can affect legislation and other Springfield decisions. (Another friendly reminder to bookmark illinoissunshine.org for a handy resource to analyze campaign donations.)
With respect for understandable fatigue – especially if the gubernatorial showdown is indeed going to be a 2022 rematch – we’ll set aside some space here and there to consider how the next ballot shapes up and what that might mean for the average voter.
It’s always campaign season – in Illinois and everywhere else.
• Scott T. Holland writes about state government issues for Shaw Local News Network. He can be reached at sholland@shawmedia.com.
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March 17, 2026 at 10:03AM
Illinois Delivered 