Gov. JB Pritzker defeated Republican Darren Bailey on Tuesday, Nov. 3, to win a third term as Illinois governor.

The Associated Press called the race minutes after polls closed at 7 p.m., first reported by KWQC carrying the AP alert. The call is a projection, not a certified result. Vote tallies will not become official until county clerks certify them, a process Shaw Local reported takes about two weeks after the election.

Pritzker is the first Democrat elected to three consecutive terms as Illinois governor, according to WAND. He is the first three-term governor since Republican Jim Thompson won the third of his four terms in 1982, WBEZ reported. Illinois has no term limits on the governor's office.

No final statewide vote totals were available at the time of the AP call. Pritzker won 55% of the vote in both 2018 and 2022, according to WAND.

DuPage County ballot

The governor's race sat atop a DuPage County ballot that included several contests close to home.

In the 6th Congressional District, Downers Grove Democrat Sean Casten faced Glen Ellyn Republican Niki Conforti in a rematch, according to Patch. The district includes Downers Grove, Lisle, Wheaton, Glen Ellyn, Lombard, Elmhurst, Darien, Hinsdale and Oak Brook, among other communities. Casten has held the seat since 2019. In 2024, he captured 54% of the vote to Conforti's 46%, according to Patch. Results in the 2026 rematch were not yet available.

Woodridge voters also had statewide and county races on their ballots, including the DuPage County Board president contest between incumbent Deb Conroy and Republican Gary Grasso, Patch reported.

Democrats targeted the open 47th Illinois House District seat in DuPage County as a pickup opportunity, Capitol News Illinois reported. Republican Rep. Amy Grant of Wheaton did not seek reelection. Wheaton Democrat Erica Bray-Parker, a retired high school teacher and Wheaton City Council member since 2019, faced Carol Stream Republican Robert Vrankovich, a small-business owner, according to Shaw Local. Results in that race were not yet available.

Spending gap and background

Bailey, a farmer from Xenia in southern Illinois and former state legislator, lost to Pritzker by nearly 13 percentage points in 2022, WBEZ reported. Pritzker's campaign spent nearly $24 million from July through September, compared with less than $1 million spent by Bailey, according to CBS News Chicago.

State Sen. John Curran, a Downers Grove Republican who leads the Senate GOP caucus, criticized Pritzker's $55.9 billion fiscal year 2027 budget when the governor signed it in June. Curran called it unsustainable, according to Capitol News Illinois.

Policy changes affecting DuPage County

Pritzker's administration has signed legislation that touches DuPage County residents directly. The state eliminated its 1% sales tax on groceries effective Jan. 1, 2026, according to the Illinois Department of Revenue. Municipalities could opt to impose their own 1% local grocery tax in its place.

DuPage County State's Attorney Robert Berlin's office proposed two bills Pritzker signed into law, according to a DuPage County government announcement. One strengthens animal-cruelty prosecution. The other expands protections for elderly residents and people with disabilities by broadening the definition of "caregiver." Both take effect Jan. 1, 2027.

Former state Rep. Christian Mitchell, who served as Pritzker's deputy governor, will become lieutenant governor. He replaces Juliana Stratton, who left the ticket to run for the U.S. Senate seat held by Dick Durbin, according to Fox 32 Chicago.

Multiple outlets noted Pritzker is considered a potential 2028 presidential contender, though WBEZ reported he has deflected questions about his political future.