Illinois state executive official elections, 2018

Elections in Illinois, 2018

• General election: Nov. 6
• Voter registration deadline: Oct. 9
• Early voting: Sept. 27 - Nov. 5
• Absentee voting deadline: Nov. 20

• Online registration: Yes
• Same-day registration: Yes
• Voter ID: No
• Poll times: 6:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.

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On the ballot: U.S. House • Governor • Attorney General • Secretary of State • State executive offices • State Senate • State House • Supreme court • Appellate courts • Local judges • Local ballot measures • Municipal • Democratic primaries • Republican primaries

2020 → ← 2016
Illinois state executive official elections
Election details
Filing deadline: December 4, 2017
Primary: March 20, 2018 General: November 6, 2018
How to vote
Poll times: 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. Voting in Illinois
Ballotpedia analysis
Federal and state primary competitiveness State executive elections in 2018 Impact of term limits in 2018 State government trifectas and triplexes
Other state executive elections
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The following state executive offices were up for election in Illinois in 2018. Click on the following links to learn more about each race:

Governor
Lieutenant governor
Attorney general
Secretary of state
Treasurer
Comptroller

Candidates and election results

Governor

General election

General election for Governor of Illinois

J.B. Pritzker defeated incumbent Bruce Rauner, William McCann, and Grayson Jackson in the general election for Governor of Illinois on November 6, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		J.B. Pritzker (D)	54.5	2,479,746
		Bruce Rauner (R)	38.8	1,765,751
		William McCann (Conservative Party)	4.2	192,527
		Grayson Jackson (L)	2.4	109,518
		Other/Write-in votes	0.0	115

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 4,547,657
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Governor of Illinois

The following candidates ran in the Democratic primary for Governor of Illinois on March 20, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		J.B. Pritzker	45.1	597,756
		Daniel K. Biss	26.7	353,625
		Chris Kennedy	24.4	322,730
		Tio Hardiman	1.6	21,075
		Bob Daiber	1.1	15,009
		Robert Marshall	1.1	14,353

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified.	Total votes: 1,324,548
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Republican primary election

Republican primary for Governor of Illinois

Incumbent Bruce Rauner defeated Jeanne M. Ives in the Republican primary for Governor of Illinois on March 20, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Bruce Rauner	51.5	372,124
		Jeanne M. Ives	48.5	350,038

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified.	Total votes: 722,162
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Libertarian primary election

Libertarian primary for Governor of Illinois

Grayson Jackson defeated Matthew Scaro and Jon Stewart in the Libertarian primary for Governor of Illinois on March 20, 2018.

		Candidate
✔		Grayson Jackson
		Matthew Scaro
		Jon Stewart

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified.
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Lieutenant governor

General election

General election for Lieutenant Governor of Illinois

Juliana Stratton defeated incumbent Evelyn Sanguinetti, Aaron Merreighn, and Sanj Mohip in the general election for Lieutenant Governor of Illinois on November 6, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Juliana Stratton (D)	54.5	2,479,746
		Evelyn Sanguinetti (R)	38.8	1,765,751
		Aaron Merreighn (Conservative Party)	4.2	192,527
		Sanj Mohip (L)	2.4	109,518

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 4,547,542
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Lieutenant Governor of Illinois

The following candidates ran in the Democratic primary for Lieutenant Governor of Illinois on March 20, 2018.

		Candidate
		Patricia Avery
		Dennis Cole
		Ra Joy
✔		Juliana Stratton
		Jonathan Todd
		Litesa Wallace

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified.
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Republican primary election

Republican primary for Lieutenant Governor of Illinois

Incumbent Evelyn Sanguinetti defeated Richard Morthland in the Republican primary for Lieutenant Governor of Illinois on March 20, 2018.

		Candidate
✔		Evelyn Sanguinetti
		Richard Morthland

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified.
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Libertarian primary election

Libertarian primary for Lieutenant Governor of Illinois

Sanj Mohip advanced from the Libertarian primary for Lieutenant Governor of Illinois on March 20, 2018.

		Candidate
✔		Sanj Mohip

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified.
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• David Earl Williams III (L)

Attorney general

General election

General election for Attorney General of Illinois

Kwame Raoul defeated Erika Harold and Bubba Harsy in the general election for Attorney General of Illinois on November 6, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Kwame Raoul (D)	54.7	2,488,326
		Erika Harold (R)	42.7	1,944,142
		Bubba Harsy (L)	2.5	115,941

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 4,548,409
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Attorney General of Illinois

The following candidates ran in the Democratic primary for Attorney General of Illinois on March 20, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Kwame Raoul	30.2	390,472
		Pat Quinn	27.2	352,425
		Sharon Fairley	12.7	164,304
		Nancy Rotering	9.5	123,446
		Scott Drury	7.9	102,193
		Jesse Ruiz	5.4	70,158
		Renato Mariotti	4.0	51,902
		Aaron Goldstein	3.0	39,196

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified.	Total votes: 1,294,096
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Republican primary election

Republican primary for Attorney General of Illinois

Erika Harold defeated Gary Grasso in the Republican primary for Attorney General of Illinois on March 20, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Erika Harold	59.2	389,197
		Gary Grasso	40.8	268,688

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified.	Total votes: 657,885
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Secretary of state

General election

General election for Illinois Secretary of State

Incumbent Jesse White defeated Jason Helland and Steve Dutner in the general election for Illinois Secretary of State on November 6, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Jesse White (D)	68.3	3,120,207
		Jason Helland (R)	29.2	1,336,079
		Steve Dutner (L)	2.5	114,556

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 4,570,842
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Illinois Secretary of State

Incumbent Jesse White advanced from the Democratic primary for Illinois Secretary of State on March 20, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Jesse White	100.0	1,209,978

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified.	Total votes: 1,209,978
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Michael Hastings (D)

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Illinois Secretary of State

Jason Helland advanced from the Republican primary for Illinois Secretary of State on March 20, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Jason Helland	100.0	609,190

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified.	Total votes: 609,190
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Joshua C. Griffin (R)

Treasurer

General election

General election for Illinois Treasurer

Incumbent Mike Frerichs defeated Jim Dodge and Mike Leheney in the general election for Illinois Treasurer on November 6, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Mike Frerichs (D)	57.6	2,593,816
		Jim Dodge (R)	38.9	1,750,897
		Mike Leheney (L)	3.5	155,256
		Other/Write-in votes	0.0	2

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 4,499,971
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Illinois Treasurer

Incumbent Mike Frerichs advanced from the Democratic primary for Illinois Treasurer on March 20, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Mike Frerichs	100.0	1,087,950

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified.	Total votes: 1,087,950
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Republican primary election

Republican primary for Illinois Treasurer

Jim Dodge advanced from the Republican primary for Illinois Treasurer on March 20, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Jim Dodge	100.0	602,626

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified.	Total votes: 602,626
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Comptroller

General election

General election for Illinois Comptroller

Incumbent Susana Mendoza defeated Darlene Senger and Claire Ball in the general election for Illinois Comptroller on November 6, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Susana Mendoza (D)	59.9	2,716,853
		Darlene Senger (R)	37.0	1,678,346
		Claire Ball (L)	3.1	140,543
		Other/Write-in votes	0.0	17

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 4,535,759
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Illinois Comptroller

Incumbent Susana Mendoza advanced from the Democratic primary for Illinois Comptroller on March 20, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Susana Mendoza	100.0	1,147,095

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified.	Total votes: 1,147,095
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Republican primary election

Republican primary for Illinois Comptroller

Darlene Senger advanced from the Republican primary for Illinois Comptroller on March 20, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Darlene Senger	100.0	607,187

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified.	Total votes: 607,187
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Context of the 2018 elections

Party control in Illinois

A state government trifecta is a term that describes single-party government, when one political party holds the governor's office and has majorities in both chambers of the legislature in a state government. Illinois came under divided government following the 2014 elections when Republicans won control of the governor's office and Democrats retained control of the state legislature. Prior to the 2014 elections, Democrats had held a trifecta since the 2002 elections. From 1992 to 2017, there were 12 years of Democratic trifectas and two years of Republican trifectas.

Illinois Party Control: 1992-2024
Eighteen years of Democratic trifectas  •  Two years of Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.

Year	92	93	94	95	96	97	98	99	00	01	02	03	04	05	06	07	08	09	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20	21	22	23	24
Governor	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	R	R	R	R	D	D	D	D	D	D
Senate	D	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D
House	D	D	D	R	R	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D

Voter information

How the primary works

A primary election is an election in which registered voters select a candidate that they believe should be a political party's candidate for elected office to run in the general election. They are also used to choose convention delegates and party leaders. Primaries are state-level and local-level elections that take place prior to a general election. Illinois uses an open primary system. Voters do not have to register with a party, but they do have to choose, publicly, which party's ballot they will vote on at the primary election.

For information about which offices are nominated via primary election, see this article.

Poll times

In Illinois, all polls are open from 6:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Central Time. An individual who is in line at the time polls close must be allowed to vote.

Registration requirements

Check your voter registration status here.

To register to vote in Illinois, a person must be a U.S. citizen, a resident of an Illinois precinct for at least 30 days prior to election day, and at least 18 years old by election day. A 17-year-old may vote in a primary if he or she will be 18 years old at the subsequent general election. Preregistration is available starting at age 16.

Regular registration closes during the period beginning 27 days prior to an election and ending two days after the election. Online registration closes 16 days prior to an election. Grace period registration is available in person through election day at certain locations.

Prospective voters can register online, by mail, or at any of the following locations:

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County Clerk's Office Board of Election Commissioner's Office City and Village Offices Township Offices Precinct Committeeman Schools Public Libraries Military Recruitment Offices

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Two forms of identification are required to register in person, one of which must display the voter's current address.

Automatic registration

Illinois automatically registers eligible individuals to vote through the Department of Motor Vehicles and other designated automatic voter registration agencies.

Online registration

See also: Online voter registration

Illinois has implemented an online voter registration system. Residents can register to vote by visiting this website.

Same-day registration

Illinois allows same-day voter registration.

Residency requirements

Illinois law requires 30 days of residency in the state before a person may vote.

Verification of citizenship

See also: Laws permitting noncitizens to vote in the United States

Illinois does not require proof of citizenship for voter registration.

Verifying your registration

The Registration Lookup page, run by the Illinois Board of Elections, allows residents to check their voter registration status online.

Voter ID requirements

Illinois does not require voters to present identification while voting, in most cases. First-time voters who registered by mail and did not submit their driver’s license number, state ID number, last four digits of their social security number, or other form of ID are required to present identification showing their name and address before voting.

The following list of accepted ID was current as of August 2024. Click here for the Illinois State Board of Elections voting information page to ensure you have the most current information.

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A current and valid photo identification Utility bill Bank statement Government check Paycheck Lease or contract for residence Student ID & mail addressed to voter’s residence Government document

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Early voting

Illinois permits early voting. Learn more by visiting this website.

Early voting permits citizens to cast ballots in person at a polling place prior to an election. In states that permit no-excuse early voting, a voter does not have to provide an excuse for being unable to vote on Election Day. States that allow voters to cast no-excuse absentee/mail-in ballots in person are counted as no-excuse early voting states.

As of February 2024, 47 states and the District of Columbia permitted no-excuse early voting.

Absentee voting

All voters are eligible to vote absentee/by-mail in Illinois. There are no special eligibility requirements for voting absentee/by-mail.

To vote absentee/by-mail, an absentee/mail-in ballot application must be received by the election office between 90 and five days prior to the election if sent by mail. If applied for in person, it must be received no later than the day before the election. A returned absentee/mail-in ballot must then be postmarked no later than midnight the night before election and received no later than 14 days after the election.

Voters can sign up for a permanent vote-by-mail list and automatically receive vote-by-mail ballots for subsequent elections.

Past elections

2016

The following elections took place in 2016.

• Illinois Comptroller special election, 2016

2014

The following elections took place in 2014.

• Illinois down ballot state executive elections, 2014
• Illinois gubernatorial and lieutenant gubernatorial election, 2014
• Illinois Attorney General election, 2014
• Illinois Secretary of State election, 2014
• Illinois state executive official elections, 2014

2012

There were no state executive elections in Illinois in 2012.

Recent news

The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Illinois state executive election 2018. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.

Illinois state executive official elections, 2018 - Google News

State profile

Demographic data for Illinois
	Illinois	U.S.
Total population:	12,839,047	316,515,021
Land area (sq mi):	55,519	3,531,905
Race and ethnicity**
White:	72.3%	73.6%
Black/African American:	14.3%	12.6%
Asian:	5%	5.1%
Native American:	0.2%	0.8%
Pacific Islander:	0%	0.2%
Two or more:	2.2%	3%
Hispanic/Latino:	16.5%	17.1%
Bildung
High school graduation rate:	87.9%	86.7%
College graduation rate:	32.3%	29.8%
Income
Median household income:	$57,574	$53,889
Persons below poverty level:	16.8%	11.3%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2010-2015) Click here for more information on the 2020 census and here for more on its impact on the redistricting process in Illinois. **Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here.

Presidential voting pattern

See also: Presidential voting trends in Illinois

Illinois voted for the Democratic candidate in all six presidential elections between 2000 and 2020.

Pivot Counties (2016)

Ballotpedia identified 206 counties that voted for Donald Trump (R) in 2016 after voting for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012. Collectively, Trump won these Pivot Counties by more than 580,000 votes. Of these 206 counties, 11 are located in Illinois, accounting for 5.34 percent of the total pivot counties.

Pivot Counties (2020)

In 2020, Ballotpedia re-examined the 206 Pivot Counties to view their voting patterns following that year's presidential election. Ballotpedia defined those won by Trump won as Retained Pivot Counties and those won by Joe Biden (D) as Boomerang Pivot Counties. Nationwide, there were 181 Retained Pivot Counties and 25 Boomerang Pivot Counties. Illinois had 11 Retained Pivot Counties, 6.08 percent of all Retained Pivot Counties.

More Illinois coverage on Ballotpedia

• Elections in Illinois
• United States congressional delegations from Illinois
• Public policy in Illinois
• Endorsers in Illinois
• Illinois fact checks
• More...

External links

Suggest a link

• State of Illinois official website