A pair of suburban races for Springfield lawmakers are competitive fights heading into the Nov. 3 election, even as many incumbent politicians across the state are running unopposed.

Among the races to watch, Rep. Nabeela Syed, a Democrat from Inverness, is challenging incumbent Republican Darby Hills of Barrington Hills, who was appointed to the 26th District state Senate seat in early 2025. The northwest suburban district includes parts of Cook, Lake, McHenry and Kane counties.

Syed is completing her second term in the Illinois House after graduating from the University of California Berkeley in 2021, while Hills is completing the term of Dan McConchie, who resigned to take a job with a nonprofit organization.

The Illinois Democratic Party is spending heavily to help Syed with her campaign. In September alone, the party and a committee led by Illinois Senate President Don Harmon — with the aim of bolstering Democrats’ majority — contributed almost $1 million to Syed, records show.

Affordability and access to health care are among her top priorities, says the Palatine native. “Knocking on doors, I see that pain and I see that struggle,” Syed says.

Hills, a former prosecutor and 2021 Mrs. Illinois America, was a Barrington Hills trustee before being appointed to McConchie’s seat. She has campaigned for public safety, especially related to children, lower taxes and controls on spending.

“Illinois doesn’t have a revenue problem,” Hills says, “it has a spending problem.”

Republican Party political committees contributed more than $80,000 to Hills in September after giving her more than $300,000 in August, according to state campaign disclosure reports.

Both candidates call for more guardrails on data center development, a topic that has been increasingly contentious across the state.

Melissa Mouritsen, a political science professor at the College of DuPage, says it’s understandable that Syed is attracting so much money from her party, which likely sees her as a rising star.

“Syed has done a good job of rallying the base,” Mouritsen says.

She adds that the Hills-Syed race appears to be one of the few competitive contests after a number of bruising primaries last March where most Democratic incumbents survived challenges from within their own party. More than a quarter of the members of the Illinois General Assembly represent Chicago or portions of the city, and the vast majority are Democrats.

Only one incumbent Democrat lost in March. State Rep. Jaime Andrade Jr. was beat in his primary for House District 40 by challenger and community activist Miguel Alvelo Rivera for the North Side seat. Alvelo Rivera is unopposed in the November election.

While Democrats see a potential to pick up suburban seats — like in the Syed-Hills race — such gains likely only pad the big advantages they have in the legislature.

Democrats hold super-majorities in both the Illinois House (78-40) and Illinois Senate (40-19). Every Illinois House seat is up for election Nov. 3, while voters will decide 39 state senate races, two thirds of the total members.

Elsewhere, Democrats are hoping to unseat 52nd House District Republican Martin McLaughlin as he faces Maria Peterson again. In 2024, McLaughlin eked out a victory against Peterson, beating her by fewer than 50 votes.

Peterson cites affordability, environmental protection and safety atop of the issues she’s focusing on, and points to her records as a lawyer doing advocacy work.

“I’ve spent my life helping people navigate the systems that affect their lives, and I want to bring that same commitment to Springfield to lower costs, make government more responsive and serve the families of our community,” she says.

McLaughlin says he’s focused on government spending and accountability as top issues.

“Property taxes remain one of the most significant concerns I hear from residents,” he says. “My approach has been to focus on government spending, accountability and whether taxpayers are receiving value for the money they send to Springfield.”

Republicans also see opportunities. In another rematch, Republican Liz Bishop is challenging incumbent Democrat Amy “Murri” Briel in the 76th Illinois House District race in north central Illinois. The campaign includes some eyebrow-raising allegations.

Bishop, who lost to Briel in 2024 by less than 600 votes, released a recorded interview with a former staffer who alleged that Briel sexually harassed her, fed her prescription stimulant drugs and smoked pot while working as a lawmaker.

Briel denies the allegations and points to a state legislative watchdog investigation that concluded the claims were unfounded.

“It was an important story to tell,” Bishop says, adding that she believes her opponent is also out of touch with voters in the district. Briel didn’t respond to requests for comment.

Closer to Chicago, state Sen. Emil Jones III faced a pair of challengers in the March primary after the District 14 incumbent faced federal corruption allegations. He won the election, getting more than 60% of the vote.

In November, Republican Brian Skala, a union plumber and elected official in Crestwood, hopes to oust Jones.

“People are talking about accountability and transparency,” he says. “Give us a chance to make it better.”