Local Chicago and Illinois Election Results

U.S. House of Representatives: Jan Schakowsky

Current Democratic Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky of the 9th congressional district of Illinois was reelected to the U.S. House of Representatives for her fourteenth term. She was first elected in 1999. 

The AP called the race for Schakowsky, who defeated Republican candidate and Marine corps veteran Seth Alan Cohen at 8:07 p.m. Tuesday night. She received over 66% of the vote as of 1:15 a.m., The Associated Press reported.

During her time in office, Schakowsky has advocated for affordable health care, universal coverage and senior issues, focusing support especially on middle class Americans. She also supports women’s reproductive rights and advocates for the safety of women from abuse and violence, according to her website. 

Schakowsky consistently votes for weapons support for Israel and advocates for a two-state solution between Israelis and Palestinians. As a Jewish congresswomen, Schakowksy pledges a friendly relationship with the State of Israel and feels a personal connection with the country, according to her website.

The 9th congressional district includes Chicago and many northern suburbs along Lake Michigan. 

Republican Seth Alan Cohen garnered less than 34% of the vote, as of 1:15 a.m., the AP reported.

Cohen advocated for military aid to Israel and aimed to confront antisemitism and hate speech. He also pledged to fix high inflation by investing in high tech manufacturing, growing the economy and stopping excessive spending. 

Cohen’s platform relied heavily on ending the 25 years Schakowsky has spent in power.  

Statewide Ballot Measures

Illinois residents voted on three statewide advisory questions Tuesday in addition to the various national and local races.

The subjects of the three questions ranged from election worker interference to tax reform to reproductive health coverage, The AP reported. All three ballot measures passed.

All advisory questions were added to the November ballot after the passage of SB2412 by the Illinois General Assembly in May. The bill directed the State Board of Elections to add the three measures and provided the exact language for the questions.

The results from these questions aren’t legally binding, but lawmakers may be advised by them when making later policy or legislative decisions, according to WTTW. The last time Illinois residents saw advisory questions on their ballots was in 2014.

The three advisory questions were as follows:

Should any candidate appearing on the Illinois ballot for federal, State, or local office be subject to civil penalties if the candidate interferes or attempts to interfere with an election worker’s official duties?

Should the Illinois Constitution be amended to create an additional 3% tax on income greater than $1,000,000 for the purpose of dedicating funds raised to property tax relief?

Should all medically appropriate assisted reproductive treatments, including, but not limited to, in vitro fertilization, be covered by any health insurance plan in Illinois that provides coverage for pregnancy benefits, without limitation on the number of treatments?

State Senate: Mike Simmons

Current Illinois State Senator Mike Simmons ran unopposed for re-election in District 7. He has held the office since 2021, according to Ballotpedia.

Simmons’ advocacy most heavily focuses on amplifying minority voices, including from LGBTQ+ and immigrant communities, according to his website. 

As the first openly gay senator in the Illinois State Senate and the third openly gay, Black senator in the nation, Simmons is the child of a refugee father and single mother. He’s familiar with the Rogers Park community, where his mother operated a hair salon out of 1226 W. Loyola Ave. for about 25 years, The Phoenix reported. 

Simmons has been assigned to multiple committees over his last year in office, including Behavioral and Mental Health, Tourism and Hospitality Committee, Transportation Committee and the Healthcare Access and Availability Committee of which he was vice chair, according to Ballotpedia.

Clerk of the Circuit Court: Mariyana Spyropoulos

Democrat Mariyana Spyropoulos, a Loyola alumnus, has won the election for Clerk of the Circuit Court. The AP called the race at 9:47 p.m. for Spyropoulos with 66.1% of the vote and 94.2% of precincts reporting. She hopes to improve the transparency and advance the technology of the office during her tenure, according to her website. 

Spyropoulos has a heavy focus on environmental issues and was elected to the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District Board of Commissioners in 2010, where she has served ever since, including as president from 2015-19, according to her website. 

After graduating from Loyola, Spyropoulos went on to study law at University of Illinois Chicago, according to her website, which says she believes her background in law makes her highly qualified for the position. She has previously served as the assistant state’s attorney.

Spyropoulos grew up on Chicago’s South Side and is the daughter of immigrants, according to her website. 

Republican candidate Lupe Aguirre totalled the second most votes Tuesday night with 27.4% of the vote at 94.2% of precincts reporting. He has a background in law enforcement and in real estate law, according to his LinkedIn. 

Libertarian candidate Michael Murphy followed behind Aguirre with 6.5% of the vote with  94.2% of precincts reporting. He emphasized implementing accountability for the office and minimizing expenses through saving taxpayer money, according to his website. 

County Clerk: Monica Gordon

Democrat Monica Gordon has been named the winner in the election for County Clerk. The AP called the race for Gordon at 8:38 p.m. Tuesday after she garnered 66.4% of the vote with 94.2% of precincts reporting. She is currently a member of the Cook County Board of Commissioners and her term will end December 2026, according to Ballotpedia.

Gordon has a background in public service and nonprofit leadership, which gave her ideals she hopes to carry into her term as County Clerk by encouraging collaboration and fostering positive change, according to her LinkedIn.

Gordon attended Northern Illinois University for her undergraduate education and Governors State University for her MA in Communications and Training, according to her LinkedIn.

Republican candidate Michelle Pennington was the closest competitor with 29.3% of the vote with 94.2% of the precincts reporting. She planned to advance the technology used in the office during her term, according to her website. 

She is originally from Dallas, and has made her career in real estate, according to Ballotpedia. She has an undergraduate degree in economics from DePaul University, according to her LinkedIn.

Libertarian candidate Christopher Laurent followed Pennington with 4.3% of the vote at 94.2% of precincts reporting. He hoped to make records more accessible to everyone and ensure accountability in all aspects of the office, according to his website. 

State Attorney: Eileen O’Neill Burke

Voters chose Eileen O’Neill Burke to fill the seat at Cook County State’s Attorney Office left vacant by previous State’s Attorney Kim Foxx after she announced last year she wouldn’t seek reelection to the role, the AP reported.

Three candidates vied for the position Tuesday night — Democrat Eileen O’Neill Burke, Republican Bob Fioretti and Libertarian Andrew Charles Kopinski. The AP called the race at 8:55 p.m. for O’Neill Burke who received 65.8% of the vote at 95.3% of precincts reporting. She was followed by Fioretti at 29.8% and Kopinski at 4.4%.

O’Neill Burke was previously a prosecutor and defense attorney before becoming a judge in the Illinois First District Appellate Court, according to Ballotpedia. She was endorsed by The Chicago Tribune and is concerned with illegal weapons sales, addressing root causes of crime and rebuilding the State’s Attorney’s Office with new training, according to her campaign website.

Fioretti first ran against Foxx for the office as a Democrat and lost in the primary, garnering only 5% of the vote, according to Ballotpedia, but he passed through this year’s Republican primary unchallenged. He was previously Alderman for the City Council Ward 2 and a private attorney. He’s also run for Board of Commissioners President and Mayor of Chicago.

His main issues include supporting law enforcement, cracking down on corrupt politicians and increasing cooperation with Immigrations and Customs Enforcement regarding illegal immigrants who commit crimes.

Kopinski is a former attorney, accountant and real estate broker who advanced to the general after the Libertarian Party primary was canceled in March, according to Ballotpedia.

School Board: Ebony DeBerry

Ebony DeBerry was elected to fill the District 2 seat on the Chicago Public Schools School board. The election was called at 12:27 a.m. Monday morning, with DeBerry leading the field at  42.2% of the vote with  99.2% of precincts reporting. The election marks the first time the public was able to vote for representatives on the CPS school board.

DeBerry’s campaign objectives included increasing minority enrollment and minority faculty in CPS schools as well as increased equity and funding, The Phoenix reported. 

DeBerry is a former CPS student, having attended Gale Elementary and Sullivan High, and a former teacher in the district. She’s a board member of Grown Your Own Teachers, an organization supporting racially diverse individuals who wish to become teachers, The Phoenix reported.

The Lake Shore Campus falls within District 2, which encompasses Lincoln Square, Ravenswood, Peterson Park, Andersonville, Edgewater, West Ridge and Rogers Park.

Bruce Leon was DeBerry’s closest competitor after garnering 21.5% of the vote with 97.6% of precincts reporting by 11 p.m..

Leon, a small business owner and philanthropist, ran with the hope of a school board independent of City Hall, according to his campaign site. Leon was endorsed by the Chicago Tribune and the Chicago Republican Party, The Phoenix reported.

Kate Doyle followed closely behind Leon with 20.2% of the vote at 97.6% of precincts reporting by 11 p.m..

Maggie Cullerton Hooper collected the fourth most votes in the District 2 race with 16.7% of the vote at 97.6% of precincts reporting.