Election Day Live Updates: Pritzker and Stratton Declared Early Winners – WTTW News

Election Day Live Updates: Pritzker and Stratton Declared Early Winners  WTTW News

WTTW News reporters are spread out across Chicago covering the 2026 election. Check back throughout the day for continuous updates on local, state and national races. Voters in Illinois will head to the polls today to cast their ballots in statewide and countywide races. Also up for grabs in Illinois are 17 seats in the U.S. Congress and a rare open U.S. Senate seat. Locally, the Chicago Board of Education will become fully elected for the first time. Nationally, control of the U.S. Senate and U.S. House is at stake. Follow along all day for live news and results. Election Night is wrapping up in Illinois and nationwide as the polls are officially closed just about everywhere.

While votes are still being counted in some key races, Gov. JB Pritzker and U.S. Sen.-elect Juliana Stratton secured early victories. The suspected “blue wave” seems to be coming to fruition as voters express concerns about affordability, immigration enforcement and the Iran War at the polls. Joining “Chicago Tonight” is Connie Mixon, a political science professor at Elmhurst University. The crowd at the Democratic Party of Illinois watch party cheers as Juliana Stratton is announced winner of the race to replace U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, Nov. 3, 2026. (Blair Paddock / WTTW News) Juliana Stratton, the former Illinois state representative and current lieutenant