Contents

2018 Illinois elections

2018 Illinois elections

← 2016 November 6, 2018 2020 →
Turnout	57.23%

Elections in Illinois
Federal government U.S. Presidential elections 1820 1824 1828 1832 1836 1840 1844 1848 1852 1856 1860 1864 1868 1872 1876 1880 1884 1888 1892 1896 1900 1904 1908 1912 1916 1920 1924 1928 1932 1936 1940 1944 1948 1952 1956 1960 1964 1968 1972 1976 1980 1984 Dem Rep 1988 1992 1996 Dem Rep 2000 Dem Rep 2004 Dem Rep 2008 Dem Rep 2012 Dem Rep 2016 Dem Rep 2020 Dem Rep 2024 Dem Rep U.S. Senate elections 1818 1819 1823 1824 1824 sp 1825 1830 sp 1831 1835 1837 1843 1846 1849 1849 sp 1853 1859 1861 1863 sp 1867 1879 1882 1885 1885 sp 1887 sp 1888 1890 1894 1896 1897 1901 1903 1907 1909 1913 1913 sp 1914 1918 1920 1924 1926 1928 sp 1930 1932 1936 1938 1940 sp 1942 1944 1948 1950 1954 1956 1960 1962 1966 1968 1970 sp 1972 1974 1978 1980 1984 1986 1990 1992 1996 1998 2002 2004 2008 2010 2010 sp 2014 2016 2020 2022 2026 U.S. House elections 1818 1819 1820 1822 1824 1826 1828 1831 1832 1834 1836 1838 1840 1842 1844 1846 1848 1850 1852 1854 1856 1858 1859 6th sp 1860 1861 6th sp 1862 1864 1866 1868 1870 1871 AL sp 1872 1874 1876 1878 1880 1882 1884 1886 1888 1890 1892 1894 1895 10th sp 18th sp 1896 1898 1900 1902 1904 1906 1908 1910 1912 1914 1916 1918 4th sp 1920 1922 AL sp 1923 2nd sp 4th sp 1924 1926 1928 1930 1932 1934 1936 1938 1940 1942 1944 19th sp 1946 1948 1950 1952 1953 7th sp 1954 1956 1957 7th sp 1958 1960 1962 1964 1966 1968 1969 13th sp 1970 6th sp 1972 15th sp 1973 7th sp 1974 1975 5th sp 1976 1978 1980 10th sp 1982 1983 1st sp 1984 1985 14th sp 1986 1988 21st sp 1990 1991 15th sp 1992 1994 1995 2nd sp 1996 1998 2000 1st 2002 2004 2006 2008 14th sp 2009 5th sp 2010 17th 2012 2013 2nd sp 2014 2015 18th sp 2016 2018 2020 2022 1st 2024
State government General elections 1936 1938 1940 1942 1944 1946 1948 1950 1952 1954 1956 1958 1960 1962 1964 1966 1968 1969 1970 1972 1974 1976 1978 1980 1982 1984 1986 1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 2020 2022 2024 Gubernatorial elections 1818 1822 1826 1830 1834 1838 1842 1846 1848 1852 1856 1860 1864 1868 1872 1876 1880 1884 1888 1892 1896 1900 1904 1908 1912 1916 1920 1924 1928 1932 1936 1940 1944 1948 1952 1956 1960 1964 1968 1972 1976 1978 1982 1986 1990 1994 1998 2002 2006 2010 2014 2018 2022 Lieutenant Gubernatorial elections 1818 1822 1826 1830 1834 1838 1842 1846 1848 1852 1856 1860 1864 1868 1872 1876 1880 1884 1888 1892 1896 1900 1904 1908 1912 1916 1920 1924 1928 1932 1936 1940 1944 1948 1952 1956 1960 1964 1968 Attorney General elections 2018 2022 Secretary of State elections 2022 Comptroller elections 2016 Senate elections 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 2020 2022 2024 House of Representatives elections 1964 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 2020 2022 2024 Judicial elections 2012 2014 2016 2018 2020 2022 2024
Ballot measures and referendums State capitol referendum (1834) Cutback Amendment (1980) Crime Victim Rights Amendment (1992) Illinois Governor Recall Amendment (2010) Public Pension Amendment (2012) Marsy's Law (2014) Right to Vote Amendment (2014) Transportation Taxes and Fees Lockbox Amendment (2016) Fair Tax (2020) Right to Collective Bargaining Amendment (2022)
Chicago General elections 2019 2023 Mayoral elections 1837 1838 1839 1840 1841 1842 1843 1844 1845 1846 1847 1848 1849 1850 1851 1852 1853 1854 1855 1856 1857 1858 1859 1860 1861 1862 1863 1865 1867 1869 1871 1873 1876 1877 1879 1881 1883 1885 1887 1889 1891 1893 1893 sp 1895 1897 1899 1901 1903 1905 1907 1911 1915 1919 1923 1927 1931 1935 1939 1943 1947 1951 1955 1959 1963 1967 1971 1975 1977 sp 1979 1983 1987 1989 sp 1991 1995 1999 2003 2007 2011 2015 2019 2023 Aldermanic elections 1923 1925 1927 1929 2011 2015 2019 2023 Chicago Board of Education elections 2024 2026
Cicero Municipal elections 1924
Cook County County elections 1946 1980 State's Attorney 1984 1986 1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 2020 2022 2024
v t e

Ageneral election was held in the U.S. stateofIllinois on November 6, 2018. The elections for Illinois's 18 congressional districts, Governor, statewide constitutional officers, Illinois Senate, and Illinois House were held on this date.

Primaries were held March 20, 2018.

The Democratic Party made gains, including picking up the state's governorship and flipping two of its U.S. House seats. After the election, all executive offices and control of the Illinois General Assembly was held by the Democratic Party. Conversely the Republican Party experienced what was regarded to be their worst defeat in the state since at least 2006.^[1]

2018 was a midterm election year in the United States.

For the primary election, turnout was 26.48%, with 2,103,634 votes cast.^[2]

Turnout by county^[2]

For the general election, turnout was 57.23%, with 4,635,541 votes cast.^[3] The Illinois State Board of Elections reported that this general election turnout rate was the third-highest for a midterm election over the past forty years.^[4] The Illinois State Board of Elections also reported that the total number of votes cast set a record high.^[4] Voter registration, at 8.1 million, also sat at a record high.^[4]

Turnout was considered high in the United States during the 2018 midterm elections, with it being the highest national midterm turnout since 1914.^[5]

Turnout by county^[3]

All of Illinois' 18 seats in the United States House of Representatives were up for election in 2018.

The Democratic Party flipped two Republican-held seat, making the composition of Illinois' House delegation 13 Democrats and 5 Republicans.

Incumbent Republican governor Bruce Rauner ran for re-election to a second term, but was defeated by Democratic venture capitalist and billionaire J. B. Pritzker.

2018 Illinois gubernatorial election

← 2014 November 6, 2018 (2018-11-06) 2022 →
Turnout	56.15%
Nominee J. B. Pritzker Bruce Rauner Party Democratic Republican Running mate Juliana Stratton Evelyn Sanguinetti Popular vote 2,479,746 1,765,751 Percentage 54.5% 38.8%
County results Pritzker:      40–50%      50–60%      70–80% Rauner:      30–40%      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%
Governor before election Bruce Rauner Republican Elected Governor J. B. Pritzker Democratic

Illinois Attorney General election, 2018

← 2014 November 6, 2018 2022 →
Turnout	56.16%
Nominee Kwame Raoul Erika Harold Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 2,488,326 1,944,142 Percentage 54.7% 42.7%
County results Raoul:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%      70–80% Harold:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%      80–90%
Attorney General before election Lisa Madigan Democratic Elected Attorney General Kwame Raoul Democratic

Incumbent Democratic attorney general Lisa Madigan, who served since 2003, chose not to run for re-election to a fifth term. Democratic state Senator Kwame Raoul defeated Republican Erika Harold.^[8]

Illinois Secretary of State election, 2018

← 2014 November 6, 2018 2022 →
Turnout	56.44%
Nominee Jesse White Jason Helland Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 3,120,207 1,336,079 Percentage 68.3% 29.2%
County results Congressional District results White:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%      80–90% Helland:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%
Secretary of State before election Jesse White Democratic Elected Secretary of State Jesse White Democratic

Incumbent Democratic secretary of state Jesse White, who has been in office since 1999, initially announced in August 2015 that he would retire.^[9] On August 17, 2017, White reversed this decision and announced that he would run for re-election to a sixth term.^[10] Governing magazine projected the race as "safe Democratic".^[11]

• Jesse White, incumbent secretary of state

• Mike Hastings, state senator^[12][13]

• Walter Burnett Jr., Alderman for Chicago's 27th ward^[12]

• Jason Helland, Grundy County State's Attorney^[14][15]

• J.C. Griffin, Iraq War veteran^[16]

• State Journal Register^[17]

• Daily Herald^[18]

• Chicago Sun-Times^[19]
• Chicago Tribune^[20]

Illinois Comptroller election, 2018

← 2016 (special) November 6, 2018 2022 →
Turnout	56.00%
Nominee Susana Mendoza Darlene Senger Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 2,716,853 1,678,346 Percentage 59.9% 37.0%
County results Mendoza:      40–50%      50–60%      70–80% Senger:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%
Comptroller before election Susana Mendoza Democratic Elected Comptroller Susana Mendoza Democratic

Incumbent Republican Judy Baar Topinka died on December 10, 2014, after being re-elected to a second term in office. A special election was held in 2016 for the remainder of the term, with Democratic City Clerk of Chicago Susana Mendoza defeating appointed Republican Comptroller Leslie Munger. Mendoza won a full term.

• Susana Mendoza, incumbent Illinois Comptroller

• Darlene Senger, former state representative and nominee for Illinois's 11th congressional districtin2014^[15]

• Claire Ball (Libertarian), certified public accountant^[21][22]

Illinois Treasurer election, 2018

← 2014 November 6, 2018 2022 →
Turnout	55.56%
Nominee Mike Frerichs Jim Dodge Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 2,593,816 1,750,897 Percentage 57.6% 38.9%
County results Frerichs:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%      70–80% Dodge:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%      80–90%
Treasurer before election Mike Frerichs Democratic Elected Treasurer Mike Frerichs Democratic

• Mike Frerichs, incumbent state treasurer

• Jim Dodge, Orland Park Village Trustee and candidate for Illinois Comptroller in 2010^[15]