Illinois holds primary elections as candidates race to fill Sen. Dick Durbin's seat

CBS News
March 17, 2026
3 min read

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Illinois voters are selecting Democratic nominee to replace retiring Sen. Dick Durbin.

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Illinois voters head to the polls Tuesday in primary elections to select nominees for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by retiring Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin, who has represented the state since 1997. The primaries will narrow the field of candidates competing to replace one of the Senate's most senior Democrats and a former Judiciary Committee chairman. Illinois is a reliably Democratic state, meaning the party's primary winner will likely have a significant advantage in the general election. The outcome will shape not only Senate representation from the nation's fifth-largest state but also influence the chamber's balance of power in the 2026 midterm cycle.

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