2018 Illinois elections Turnout 57.23%
A general election was held in the U.S. state of Illinois 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]
County
Registration
Votes cast
Turnout
Adams
47,422
6,670
14.07%
Alexander
5,303
1,691
31.89%
Bond
10,978
2,854
26%
Boone
32,552
7,525
23.12%
Brown
3,337
662
19.84%
Bureau
23,661
7,446
31.47%
Calhoun
3,542
905
25.55%
Carroll
10,449
3,329
31.86%
Cass
7,704
1,819
23.61%
Champaign
119,979
31,574
26.32%
Christian
20,925
4,294
20.52%
Clark
11,886
4,826
40.6%
Clay
8,809
2,935
33.32%
Clinton
24,486
5,462
22.31%
Coles
29,515
9,238
31.3%
Cook [ note 1]
3,043,887
938,639
30.84%
Crawford
12,328
4,239
34.39%
Cumberland
7,636
3,030
39.68%
DeKalb
56,946
14,531
25.52%
DeWitt
10,885
2,773
25.48%
Douglas
11,564
3,816
33%
DuPage
633,638
157,671
24.88%
Edgar
11,968
2,077
17.35%
Edwards
4,342
1,779
40.97%
Effingham
23,564
6,023
25.56%
Fayette
13,572
3,218
23.71%
Ford
8,664
2,336
26.96%
Franklin
28,534
5,380
18.85%
Fulton
25,423
5,349
21.04%
Gallatin
3,765
1,327
35.25%
Greene
8,891
1,922
21.62%
Grundy
33,916
8,070
23.79%
Hamilton
5,643
1,631
28.9%
Hancock
12,244
2,562
20.92%
Hardin
3,176
900
28.34%
Henderson
4,847
1,278
26.37%
Henry
35,896
7,645
21.3%
Iroquois
17,933
4,696
26.19%
Jackson
31,777
8,683
27.32%
Jasper
6,859
2,314
33.74%
Jefferson
23,547
5,680
24.12%
Jersey
15,188
3,073
20.23%
Jo Daviess
15,938
3,708
23.27%
Johnson
8,834
2,448
27.71%
Kane
305,679
65,419
21.4%
Kankakee
67,383
11,976
17.77%
Kendall
72,920
15,883
21.78%
Knox
32,995
6,517
19.75%
Lake
439,860
98,944
22.49%
LaSalle
69,838
16,185
23.18%
Lawrence
8,737
1,546
17.69%
Lee
22,216
6,147
27.67%
Livingston
21,221
6,776
31.93%
Logan
18,163
5,688
31.32%
Macon
74,132
16,732
22.57%
Macoupin
32,632
6,727
20.61%
Madison
174,508
43,928
25.17%
Marion
24,318
4,642
19.09%
Marshall
8,253
2,892
35.04%
Mason
9,040
2,007
22.2%
Massac
10,484
3,183
30.36%
McDonough
18,905
6,078
32.15%
McHenry
223,579
48,504
21.69%
McLean
108,708
28,516
26.23%
Menard
9,089
3,061
33.68%
Mercer
12,125
2,352
19.4%
Monroe
25,313
4,012
15.85%
Montgomery
15,873
5,521
34.78%
Morgan
21,747
6,244
28.71%
Moultrie
8,548
2,918
34.14%
Ogle
30,493
8,468
27.77%
Peoria
113,911
23,250
20.41%
Perry
14,561
2,901
19.92%
Piatt
12,091
5,378
44.48%
Pike
10,266
2,548
24.82%
Pope
2,989
823
27.53%
Pulaski
4,395
1,252
28.49%
Putnam
4,269
1,181
27.66%
Randolph
21,563
3,680
17.07%
Richland
11,517
4,318
37.49%
Rock Island
86,055
17,265
20.06%
Saline
16,361
4,578
27.98%
Sangamon
131,964
31,047
23.53%
Schuyler
5,362
1,350
25.18%
Scott
3,615
1,411
39.03%
Shelby
14,595
4,038
27.67%
Stark
4,100
1,510
36.83%
St. Clair
190,018
35,514
18.69%
Stephenson
34,036
8,488
24.94%
Tazewell
89,252
24,919
27.92%
Union
11,849
3,196
26.97%
Vermilion
45,711
9,999
21.87%
Wabash
8,459
2,110
24.94%
Warren
11,616
2,288
19.7%
Washington
9,601
2,944
30.66%
Wayne
12,193
3,878
31.81%
White
10,218
2,557
25.02%
Whiteside
37,379
8,995
24.06%
Will
431,906
95,945
22.21%
Williamson
44,661
9,572
21.43%
Winnebago
176,057
49,517
28.13%
Woodford
25,792
8,288
32.13%
Total
7,945,074
2,103,634
26.48%
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]
County
Registration
Votes cast
Turnout%
Adams
47,811
24,611
51.48%
Alexander
5,354
2,278
42.55%
Bond
11,197
6,723
60.04%
Boone
33,054
18,176
54.99%
Brown
3,509
1,934
55.12%
Bureau
23,847
13,840
58.04%
Calhoun
3,559
2,377
66.79%
Carroll
10,682
6,039
56.53%
Cass
7,774
4,683
60.24%
Champaign
124,057
80,112
64.58%
Christian
21,209
13,027
61.42%
Clark
11,936
6,249
52.35%
Clay
8,948
4,956
55.39%
Clinton
24,810
14,269
57.51%
Coles
30,551
17,385
56.9%
Cook [ note 2]
3,090,800
1,795,518
58.09%
Crawford
12,624
7,022
55.62%
Cumberland
7,712
4,400
57.05%
DeKalb
60,754
36,610
60.26%
DeWitt
11,083
6,286
56.72%
Douglas
11,701
6,499
55.54%
DuPage
639,752
370,249
57.87%
Edgar
12,106
6,264
51.74%
Edwards
4,406
2,468
56.01%
Effingham
23,873
14,621
61.24%
Fayette
13,474
8,011
59.46%
Ford
8,803
5,061
57.49%
Franklin
28,743
15,632
54.39%
Fulton
25,576
12,727
49.76%
Gallatin
3,720
2,205
59.27%
Greene
8,946
4,441
49.64%
Grundy
33,041
19,646
59.46%
Hamilton
5,666
3,677
64.9%
Hancock
12,431
7,143
57.46%
Hardin
2,980
1,774
59.53%
Henderson
4,836
2,736
56.58%
Henry
34,493
19,694
57.1%
Iroquois
17,968
10,388
57.81%
Jackson
39,503
20,693
52.38%
Jasper
6,882
4,577
66.51%
Jefferson
24,002
14,264
59.43%
Jersey
15,544
8,905
57.29%
Jo Daviess
16,164
9,414
58.24%
Johnson
8,879
5,343
60.18%
Kane
314,170
172,056
54.77%
Kankakee
68,513
37,012
54.02%
Kendall
78,788
45,534
57.79%
Knox
33,475
18,125
54.14%
Lake
448,295
254,217
56.71%
LaSalle
71,111
40,691
57.22%
Lawrence
8,830
4,410
49.94%
Lee
22,496
12,742
56.64%
Livingston
21,591
12,261
56.79%
Logan
18,396
10,246
55.7%
Macon
75,161
39,738
52.87%
Macoupin
32,151
18,458
57.41%
Madison
180,511
105,432
58.41%
Marion
24,747
12,786
51.67%
Marshall
8,303
4,783
57.61%
Mason
9,112
5,334
58.54%
Massac
10,650
5,507
51.71%
McDonough
18,464
10,368
56.15%
McHenry
235,593
117,838
50.02%
McLean
109,316
68,087
62.28%
Menard
9,172
5,519
60.17%
Mercer
12,357
7,130
57.7%
Monroe
26,035
15,754
60.51%
Montgomery
16,338
11,721
71.74%
Morgan
22,026
11,870
53.89%
Moultrie
8,547
5,226
61.14%
Ogle
32,316
19,267
59.62%
Peoria
117,449
65,865
56.08%
Perry
14,475
8,672
59.91%
Piatt
12,141
7,730
63.67%
Pike
10,433
6,693
64.15%
Pope
3,004
1,813
60.35%
Pulaski
4,434
2,488
56.11%
Putnam
4,289
2,645
61.67%
Randolph
21,517
12,464
57.93%
Richland
11,599
6,192
53.38%
Rock Island
100,163
51,283
51.2%
Saline
16,441
9,773
59.44%
Sangamon
135,830
87,193
64.19%
Schuyler
5,293
3,176
60%
Scott
3,470
2,098
60.46%
Shelby
14,878
9,399
63.17%
Stark
4,093
2,099
51.28%
St. Clair
192,407
99,849
51.89%
Stephenson
34,461
16,612
48.21%
Tazewell
90,595
52,368
57.8%
Union
12,098
7,693
63.59%
Vermilion
49,519
23,559
47.58%
Wabash
8,004
4,056
50.67%
Warren
11,612
6,177
53.19%
Washington
9,777
6,205
63.47%
Wayne
12,118
6,065
50.05%
White
10,300
6,006
58.31%
Whiteside
37,945
21,723
57.25%
Will
429,647
249,682
58.11%
Williamson
45,987
27,752
60.35%
Winnebago
177,945
96,765
54.38%
Woodford
26,224
16,407
62.56%
Total
8,099,372
4,635,541
57.23%
United States House [ edit ] 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.
Governor and Lieutenant Governor [ edit ] 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 Turnout 56.15%
County resultsPritzker: 40–50% 50–60% 70–80%Rauner: 30–40% 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80%
Illinois Attorney General election, 2018 Turnout 56.16%
County resultsRaoul: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80%Harold: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90%
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 Turnout 56.44%
County results Congressional District results White: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90%Helland: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70%
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]
J.C. Griffin, Iraq War veteran[ 16] Illinois Comptroller election, 2018 Turnout 56.00%
County resultsMendoza: 40–50% 50–60% 70–80%Senger: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80%
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.
Third parties and independents [ edit ] Claire Ball (Libertarian), certified public accountant[ 21] [ 22] Illinois Treasurer election, 2018 Turnout 55.56%
County resultsFrerichs: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80%Dodge: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90%
One-third of the seats of the Illinois Senate were up for election in 2018.
State House of Representatives [ edit ] All of the seats in the Illinois House of Representatives were up for election in 2018.
Judicial elections were held, consisting of both partisan and retention elections, including those for one seat in the Supreme Court of Illinois and five seats in the Illinois Appellate Court .[ 23] [ 24]
Local elections took place, including county elections such as the Cook County elections .
^ "How Illinois Democrats won a statewide sweep and 2 pivotal congressional seats in the midterm elections" . Chicago Tribune. November 7, 2018. Retrieved June 25, 2020 .
^ a b "Voter Turnout" . www.elections.il.gov . Illinois State Board of Elections. Retrieved March 22, 2020 .[permanent dead link ]
^ a b "Voter Turnout" . www.elections.il.gov . Illinois State Board of Elections. Retrieved March 22, 2020 .[permanent dead link ]
^ a b c "VOTER TURNOUT, CYBERSECURITY, AUTOMATIC VOTER REGISTRATION MARK EVENTFUL YEAR FOR SBE" (PDF) . www.elections.il.gov . Illinois State Board of Elections. December 21, 2018. Retrieved March 22, 2020 .
^ Aytaç, S. Erdem; Stokes, Susan (November 20, 2018). "Americans just set a turnout record for the midterms, voting at the highest rate since 1914. This explains why" . Washington Post .
^ a b c d e f g h i j "2018 GENERAL PRIMARY - Election Results" . Illinois State Board of Elections .
^ a b c d e "2018 GENERAL ELECTION - Election Results" . Illinois State Board of Elections .
^ Pearson, Rick (May 14, 2017). "Boxed in by father, Lisa Madigan seeks fifth term as Illinois attorney general" . Chicago Tribune . Retrieved May 15, 2017 .
^ Schlikerman, Becky (August 20, 2015). "Secretary of State Jesse White won't seek re-election" . Chicago Sun-Times . Retrieved July 19, 2016 .
^ Garcia, Monique (August 17, 2017). "Secretary of State Jesse White says he'll run for a record sixth term" . Chicago Tribune . Retrieved August 17, 2017 .
^ Jacobson, Louis (June 4, 2018). "Secretary of State Races Are More Competitive and Important Than Ever" . Governing. Retrieved September 22, 2019 .
^ a b Miller, Rich (September 20, 2017). "Hastings circulating petitions for SoS and AG as Ald. Burnett declares he's not circulating" . Capitol Fax . Retrieved September 20, 2017 .
^ Candidate Detail , Illinois State Board of Elections , Retrieved January 12, 2018.
^ Miller, Rich (October 5, 2017). "Rauner candidate emerges for secretary of state" . Capitol Fax . Retrieved October 5, 2017 .
^ a b c "Rauner faces war on two fronts as Republican challenger Ives attacks ", Chicago Tribune , December 4, 2017. Retrieved December 5, 2017.
^ Maxwell, Mark (July 20, 2017). "Iraq war vet could challenge Jesse White" . WCIA . Retrieved August 17, 2017 .
^ "SJ-R Endorses Libertarian For Secretary Of State" . www.wmay.com . WMAY. October 18, 2018. Retrieved July 23, 2021 .
^ Board, Daily Herald Editorial (October 10, 2018). "Endorsement: Daily Herald backs Jason Helland over Jesse White for secretary of state" . Daily Herald . Retrieved July 23, 2021 .
^ "ENDORSEMENT: Jesse White for Illinois secretary of state" . Chicago Sun-Times . October 10, 2018. Retrieved July 23, 2021 .
^ "Chicago Tribune Editorial Board endorsements in the 2018 Illinois midterm election" . chicagotribune.com . Chicago Tribune. October 12, 2018. Retrieved July 23, 2021 .
^ Sterrett, Craig (February 12, 2018). "State, local candidates woo Democrats at La Salle" . LaSalle News-Tribune . Archived from the original on February 12, 2018. Retrieved February 28, 2018 .
^ Bishop, Greg (April 3, 2017). "Medical cannabis dispensary and third-party candidates look forward after court victory" . Illinois News Network . Retrieved February 28, 2018 .
^ "Illinois Supreme Court elections, 2018" . Ballotpedia . Retrieved April 2, 2020 .
^ "Illinois intermediate appellate court elections, 2018" . Ballotpedia . Retrieved April 2, 2020 .
U.S. Senate U.S. House (election ratings ) Governors Attorneys general State legislatures Mayors
Alexandria, VA
Anaheim, CA
Anchorage, AK
Auburn, AL
Austin, TX
Burlington, VT
Chula Vista, CA
Fairfax, VA
Fort Lauderdale, FL
Franklin, VA
Irvine, CA
Laredo, TX
Lexington, KY
Little Rock, AR
Long Beach, CA
Louisville, KY
Lubbock, TX
Nashville, TN (special)
Newark, NJ
Newport News, VA
Oakland, CA
Oklahoma City, OK
Phoenix, AZ (special)
Providence, RI
Radford, VA
Reno, NV
San Bernardino, CA
San Francisco, CA (special)
San Jose, CA
Santa Ana, CA
Tallahassee, FL
Virginia Beach, VA (special)
Washington, DC
Local Statewide Related