Illinois State Wide Races
Democrats dominated in Illinois on Tuesday night, winning all statewide offices. J.B. Pritzker defeated Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner (by 14.5 points). Nearly 700,000 more ballots were cast in the 2018 Illinois elections compared with 2014 and J.B. Pritzker may have received nearly all of those votes.

Pritzker won the 2018 Illinois governor’s race earning 675,000 more votes statewide than Gov. Pat Quinn did in his failed re-election bid in 2014.

 

Democratic state Sen. Kwame Raoul topped Republican attorney Erika Harold for the open attorney general seat. Other Democrats who won re-election statewide: Comptroller Susana Mendoza, Secretary of State Jesse White and Treasurer Michael Frerichs.
 

 

 

Illinois State Dems Pick Up Eight to Ten Seats in Senate and House

 

The blue wave also came to the Illinois State Senate and House. Here are the latest Senate and House numbers:

 

Illinois State Senate Dems picked up two to three seats (59 seats total in the Illinois Senate with a 36 supermajority threshold). The state Senate currently count stands at 37 Democrats and 22 Republicans, but in 2019 looks like it will be

 

Illinois State House Dems picked up six to seven (118 seats total in Illinois Housel with a 71 supermajority threshold). State House currently stands at 67 Democrats and 51 Republicans. In 2019, it looks to be 73-74 Democrats and 44-45 Republicans.

 

 

 

National Races

 

In Illinois, Republican Rep. Mike Bost won re-election after a tougher-than-usual challenge from Democrat Brendan Kelly in a southern Illinois district,and central Illinois GOP Rep. Rodney Davis narrowly survived over Democrat Betsy Dirksen Londrigan. Both Congressman Bost and Congressman Davis sit on the House Ag Committee. In other races in Illinois, Republican Rep. Peter Roskam of Wheaton lost his bid for a seventh term to Democrat Sean Casten in a suburban Chicago district, while Democrat Lauren Underwooddefeated GOP Rep. Randy Hultgren in another Chicago-area district the party had targeted in its effort to win House control.

Republicans held the US Senate on Tuesday. As I write this, the US Senate count stands at 51-46 with Republicans holding control. Three races still haven't been called: Florida, Arizona and Nevada. Two of those three look to be leaning Republican. 

 

In the US House, the count stands at 222 Democrat and 199 Republicans, with 14 races to close too call. You need 218 votes to have control of the House. Nancy Pelosi will be the incoming Speaker of the House and Kevin McCarthy will be Republican minority leader. Both are from California. IFCA and many ag groups think that Rep. Colin Peterson from Minnesota will be the incoming House Ag Committee Chairman.