Editor’s note: For the RoundTables story on turnout and the polls, please click here. For the RoundTable’s portraits of Election Judges serving democracy, please click here.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker will run against Republican state Senator Darren Bailey, R-Xenia, in November’s gubernatorial race. The incumbent Democratic governor sailed to an easy primary victory Tuesday, June 28, while Bailey beat out venture capitalist Jesse Sullivan and Aurora Mayor Richard Irvin, who was backed by $50 million in campaign funding from billionaire Ken Griffin.
The main show was the gubernatorial race, where Irvin was the early favorite in the Republican field. But he stumbled at the end, failing to answer questions about who he voted for in the 2020 presidential election and what he would do as governor if the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, which it ultimately did last week.
Bailey, a loyalist to former President Donald Trump, was up in the polls two days ago when he received a last-minute endorsement from Trump. Baily got 57% of the vote, several hundred thousand more votes than Sullivan and Irvin.
In Cook County, the incumbent Democrats held firm, with Cook County President Toni Preckwinkle, Assessor Fritz Kaegi and Sheriff Tom Dart prevailing.
Below is a full breakdown of the primary results in elections that Evanston voters participated in this year:
Statewide elections
These races were for executive positions in the state government and for one of Illinois’ two senate seats.
Governor and Lieutenant Governor
Democratic Primary
- JB Pritzker and Juliana Stratton, the incumbent governor and lieutenant governor first elected in 2018, won 92% of the vote to beat U.S. Army veteran Beverly Miles and her running mate Karla Shaw.
Republican Primary
- Darren Bailey and Stephanie Trussell, a state senator for the 55th District in southeast Illinois and a former talk show host on WLS-AM 890 in Chicago, respectively, won the GOP nomination for governor easily with 57% of the vote. Venture capitalist Jesse Sullivan came in a distant second place with just under 16% of the vote.
Attorney General
Democratic primary
Incumbent Kwame Raoul ran unopposed and won the Democratic primary.
Republican Primary
- Tom DeVore, a private attorney from Bond County who litigated to lift the statewide mask mandate in public schools, narrowly won against Steve Kim, an international business attorney and 2010 Republican nominee for attorney general.
Secretary of State
Democratic Primary
Republican Primary
- Dan Brady, a State Representative for the 105th District in central Illinois, beat out former U.S. Attorney for the Central District of Illinois John C. Milhiser, winning 77% of the vote.
U.S. Senator
Democratic Primary
Incumbent Tammy Duckworth ran unopposed and won the Democratic primary.
Republican Primary
- Kathy Salvi, a personal injury lawyer and former public defender from Mundelein, narrowly won the race against Peggy Hubbard, a former police officer and 2020 candidate for U.S. Senator from Belleville.
Judicial Elections
No Republican candidates were filed to run in any of the judicial elections Evanstonians voted in.
Appellate Court – Hall vacancy
Democratic Primary
- Debra B. Walker, an incumbent Circuit Judge in the domestic relations division since 2008, won with 10,000 more votes than Dominique C. Ross, an incumbent circuit judge in the domestic relations division since 2008.
Appellate Court – Harris vacancy
Democratic Primary
- Raymond W. Mitchell, an incumbent circuit judge in the chancery division since 2008, won with 45% of the vote compared with 37% of the vote for John H. Ehrlich, an incumbent circuit judge since 2012 currently hearing cases in the law division.
Cook County Circuit Court – Brennan Vacancy
Democratic Primary
- With 98% of the vote in late Tuesday night, the race was still too close to call, with fewer than 100 votes separating Howard B. Brookins, Jr., the incumbent Alderman for Chicago’s 21st Ward in several South Side neighborhoods since 2003, and Lisa Michelle Taylor, a private attorney practicing personal injury and insurance law.
Cook County Circuit Court – Callahan, Jr., Vacancy
Democratic Primary
Cook County Circuit Court – Cannon Vacancy
Democratic Primary
- Diana López, associate circuit judge in the traffic division since 2021, won with 65% of the vote.
Cook County Circuit Court – Hyman Vacancy
Democratic primary
- Thomas E. Nowinski, chief of staff for the Cook County Circuit Court Clerk since 2020, won with 63% of the vote.
Cook County Circuit Court – Ingram Vacancy
Democratic Primary
- Elizabeth “Beth” Ryan, a private attorney practicing personal injury law and previous candidate for judge in 2020, won with 54% of the vote, beating out Yolanda Harris Sayre, legal counsel for the Illinois State Police since 2021 and contract attorney for the Illinois Secretary of State since 2019.
Cook County Circuit Court – Leeming Vacancy
Democratic Primary
- Rena Marie Van Tine, incumbent appointed circuit judge in the law division since 2021, won with 79% of the vote.
Cook County Circuit Court – Lynch Vacancy
Democratic Primary
- Michael Weaver, a private attorney practicing corporate law, narrowly beat Deidre Baumann, a private attorney practicing civil rights and police misconduct law and previous candidate for judge in four cycles since 2010.
Cook County Circuit Court – McGury Vacancy
Democratic Primary
- Ruth Isabel Gudino, incumbent appointed circuit judge in the traffic division since 2021 and previous Assistant State’s Attorney from 2003 to 2021, won with 68% of the vote.
Cook County Circuit Court – O’Brien Vacancy
Democratic Primary
- Araceli R. De La Cruz, incumbent appointed circuit judge in the traffic division since January 2022 and former General Counsel and Chief Administrative Officer for the Acero Charter School Network from 2016 to 2021, won with 54% of the vote.
Cook County Circuit Court – Sullivan Vacancy
Democratic Primary
- Thomas More Donnelly, incumbent appointed circuit judge since 2021 and former associate judge hearing a variety of cases from 2003 to 2021, won with 60% of the vote.
Cook County 9th Subcircuit – Cleveland Vacancy
Democratic Primary
- Sanjay Tailor, an incumbent appointed circuit judge serving as presiding judge of the county division since 2021 and former associate judge in several divisions from 2003 to 2021, won with 82% of the vote.
Cook County 9th Subcircuit – Jacobius Vacancy
Democratic primary
- Barry Goldberg, chief of the Charitable Trust Bureau for the Illinois Attorney General since 2019, beat out Don R. Sampen, a private attorney practicing commercial and insurance law.
Cook County Elections
These races were for executive and legislative offices in the county government and for commissioners in the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago.
No Republican primaries will be held in any of the Cook County elections Evanstonians will vote in.
Board of Commissioners President
Democratic Primary
- Toni Preckwinkle, incumbent Board President since 2010 and runner-up in the 2019 Chicago mayoral election, handily beat Richard R. Boykin, a former Cook County Commissioner for District 1 from 2014 to 2018 and previous candidate for circuit judge in 2020.
Board of Review – District 2
Democratic Primary
- Michael Cabonargi, incumbent review commissioner for District 2 since 2011 and vice-chair of the Democratic Party of Illinois since 2019, won with 59% of the vote against Samantha Steele, an appointed member of the Property Tax Board of Appeals in Lake County, Indiana, since 2019 and former member of Cook County Assessor Fritz Kaegi’s transition team in 2018.
Cook County Sheriff
Democratic Primary
- Thomas Dart, incumbent sheriff since 2006 and former state legislator from 1991 to 2003, won with 88% of the vote against Noland Rivera, a police sergeant who has served in the Chicago Police Department since 1994.
Cook County Assessor
Democratic Primary
- Fritz Kaegi, the incumbent assessor since 2018 and previous career private asset manager, beat out Kari K. Steele, incumbent Metropolitan Water Reclamation Commissioner since 2013, currently serving as Board President.
Metropolitan Water Reclamation Commissioner
(Full 6-year term)
Democratic Primary (pick three)
- Mariyana T. Spyropoulos, incumbent MWRD commissioner since 2010, Yumeka Brown, incumbent Matteson Village Clerk since 2017 and President of the Rich Township Democratic Organization and Patricia Theresa Flynn, incumbent Trustee in the Village of Crestwood were the top three vote getters.
No Republican primary – R. Cary Capparelli is running unopposed.
Metropolitan Water Reclamation Commissioner
(Unexpired 2-year term)
Democratic Primary
- Daniel “Pogo” Pogorzelski, a communications specialist for State Treasurer Michael Frerichs and former Executive Director of the Avondale Chamber of Commerce in Chicago, narrowly beat Elizabeth Joyce, who ran for election to the MWRD in 2018.