Illinois Voters Face Governor, Comptroller, Congressional Races

Five seats in the U.S. House are open in Illinois this year after five sitting members of Congress chose not to run for reelection. Those five races join a contest for governor and a contest for state comptroller on the Nov. 3 ballot.

Incumbent Gov. JB Pritzker is running for a third term against former State Sen. Darren Bailey. Pritzker is seeking to become the first Democrat elected to a third term in Illinois. The governor's mansion is one of the statewide offices on the ballot.

The race to serve as the next Illinois Comptroller features Democratic nominee Margaret Croke against Republican nominee Bryan Drew. The office will have a new officeholder regardless of the outcome, with no incumbent listed among the candidates in the source material.

Illinois voters will also choose their next U.S. Senator, along with candidates for the U.S. House, the Illinois House and the Illinois Senate. Ballot listings vary by location. Judicial races do not appear on the sample ballot tool, and voters seeking that information are directed elsewhere.

The general election is set for Tuesday, Nov. 3. Early voting is open around the Chicago area in the lead-up to that date. Voters can use a ballot tool to see which races appear based on their location, including the governor's race, U.S. House and Senate races, and state House and state Senate races where applicable.

The Cook County area will vote in those races on Nov. 3, with early voting available before then. A voter's guide for the 2026 election is available through NBC Chicago.