The of
Democratic incumbent
Joe Biden and
Republican challenger
Donald Trump are already certain. So Tuesday’s primary
election Day in Illinois is focused on several down-ballot races as many are expecting a lower voter turnout than years when the presidential races were more competitive. Here’s what to know about the Illinois primary, including the Bring
Chicago Home referendum. For more news, . Monday marks the final day of early voting in Chicago and the suburbs. And Tuesday is Election Day. So voters need to either go to their local polling places to cast their ballots or if they want to vote by mail still Tuesday is the latest date a mail-in ballot can be postmarked to be counted. Any registered voter may participate in any party’s primary. Illinois does not register voters by party but voters must choose whether to pull a Republican or Democratic ballot. On Election Day, polls close at 7 p.m. If you live in Chicago, . In Chicago, voters are being offered . And here’s our To register on Election Day or in person during early voting, you must bring , one of which must list your current address. Here is a list of . If you are already registered and your address is correct, you do not need to bring your ID — though it’s not a bad idea to bring it in case your signature doesn’t match the one on file. Three incumbent congressmen are facing the most competitive challenges — two Chicago
Democrats and one downstate Republican. There’s also a heated race to replace Kim Foxx as Cook County state’s attorney and a controversial Chicago
referendum to hike a real estate tax on $1 million-plus properties to raise money for homeless services. Scores of state legislative and other local contests also are on the ballot. Two Democrats are seeking the become the nominee for Cook County’s next state’s attorney in November. Retired Appellate Judge and former prosecutor Eileen O’Neill Burke is facing off against former prosecutor, government official and attorney Clayton Harris III. has poured into the race, with most going to O’Neill Burke. Harris has gotten the backing of Foxx’s mentor, Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle and the county’s Democratic Party, and has pledged to uphold Foxx’s progressive reforms . O’Neill Burke has pledged to maintain some of Foxx’s programs, her retail theft policies and ask for detention “each and every time” someone is found with an assault weapon, threatens anyone with a weapon, or is involved in a violent crime. Republican Robert Fioretti, who has no challenger in the primary, will face the winner. In the race to represent the 7th Congressional District — which stretches from the west suburbs through Chicago’s West Side and all the way downtown and then north to the Old Town neighborhood and south to West Englewood — Democratic U.S. Rep. Danny Davis . He’s running against Chicago City Treasurer Melissa Conyears-Ervin, progressive candidate Kina Collins, who is making her third challenge to Davis, Kouri Marshall and Nikhil Batia. On Chicago ballots will be a multiparagraph referendum question backed by Mayor Brandon Johnson to raise the real estate transfer tax on the sale of all $1 million-plus properties. Surviving , the referendum would raise, on average, for homeless services, supporters say. But real estate interests warn the extra costs will threaten Chicago’s recovery from the pandemic, exacerbate office vacancies and impede fresh development. The two other top congressional contests feature U.S. Rep. Jesus “Chuy” García facing off against Chicago Ald. Raymond Lopez in the Democratic primary race in the and U.S. Rep. Mike Bost fending off a challenge from Darren Bailey in the Republican primary’s race. Trump endorsed Bost over Bailey, who in 2022 lost his bid for governor. There are two other races in the suburbs. Democratic U.S. Rep. Bill Foster faces progressive challenger Qasim Rashid , which runs from McHenry through western Kane County and southern portions of DuPage County. In the 6th district, which includes west and southwestern suburbs as well as parts of the Southwest Side, U.S. Rep. Sean Casten faces lower-funded campaigns from public health administrator Mahnoor Ahmad and Charles Hughes, who has run for office several times before, in the Democratic primary. On the Illinois
Supreme Court, is seeking to be elected to a full term after being appointed to fill the vacancy of Justice Anne Burke. She’s , an appellate court judge who finished second in the 2020 race for a seat on the state’s highest court. Two other county races have generated interest. First-term Cook County Clerk of the Court is facing off against , a commissioner on the board of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago. And five-term Cook County Board of Review member is being challenged by , who is is being backed by Cook County Assessor Fritz Kaegi in race. All are on ballots this Tuesday. The race that’s gotten the most attention is for the 20th district
Senate seat on Chicago’s North and Northwest sides. There’s a four-way Democratic contest between incumbent state Sen. Natalie Toro, who was appointed to the seat last year and has the backing of several state and local Chicago-area Democrats, Graciela Guzmán, an organizer for the Chicago Teachers’ Union, Dave Nayak, who owns a farming business and runs a free asthma and allergy clinic in Roscoe Village, and Geary Yonker, a community organizer in Logan Square. The Tribune Editorial Board continued its decadeslong tradition of endorsing political candidates appearing on Illinois ballots. .