The 2026 Illinois gubernatorial election was held on November 3, 2026, to elect the governor of Illinois. Democratic incumbent JB Pritzker sought a third term in office against Republican nominee Darren Bailey, whom he defeated in 2022. Pritzker defeated Bailey a second time, becoming the first Illinois governor to be reelected to a third term since Jim Thompson in 1982, and the first Democrat to do so in the state's history. Pritzker outperformed his 2022 margin of victory by double digits.
Primary elections were held on March 17, 2026. Pritzker secured the Democratic nomination unopposed, while Darren Bailey secured the Republican nomination with 54% of the vote. Pritzker selected Christian Mitchell as his running mate, as incumbent lieutenant governor Juliana Stratton ran as the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate.
The election was the first gubernatorial rematch in Illinois since 1986. In the general election, Pritzker won with approximately 60% of the vote, an improvement of five percentage points from 2022. This is the first time a Democratic candidate for governor has won 60% or more of the vote in Illinois, as well as the first time Sangamon County went for the Democratic candidate for governor since 1964, and the first time for McHenry County since 1852.
Background
A moderately to strongly Democratic state, Illinois has a reputation for being both the most populous and the most left-leaning state in the Midwest, largely due to the progressive and diverse Chicago metropolitan area. While the state favored Republicans for governor during the 1970s to 1990s, Democrats have won all but one gubernatorial race in Illinois since 2002, the exception being Bruce Rauner's narrow victory in 2014. In addition, Democrats have occupied all of its statewide offices since 2019 and have won by double-digit margins in every presidential election since 1992.
Incumbent governor JB Pritzker, a member of the Democratic Party, comfortably won the previous two elections, having first been elected with a 15.6% lead in 2018 and won re-election by 12.5% in 2022. Despite the state's strong Democratic lean, Republicans are comfortably favored in most of rural Illinois, especially in much of West Central and Southern Illinois. Illinois is one of 16 states that do not have gubernatorial term limits.
Democratic primary
Candidates
Nominee
- JB Pritzker, incumbent governor (2019–present)
- Running mate: Christian Mitchell, former deputy governor (2019–2023) and former state representative (2013–2019)
Disqualified
- Patricia Tillman, former candidate for Chicago City Council
- Running mate: Joseph Mosley
Endorsements
JB Pritzker
Republican primary
Candidates
Nominee
- Darren Bailey, former state senator from the 55th district (2021–2023), nominee for governor in 2022, and candidate for Illinois's 12th congressional district in 2024
- Running mate: Aaron Del Mar, Palatine Township Highway Commissioner, chair of the Cook County Republican Party, and candidate for lieutenant governor in 2022
Eliminated in primary
- Ted Dabrowski, conservative news website president
- Running mate: Carrie Mendoza, leader of FAIR In Medicine
- Rick Heidner, real estate developer
- Running mate: Christina Neitzke-Troike, mayor of Homer Glen
- James Mendrick, DuPage County Sheriff (2018–present)
- Running mate: Robert Renteria, author and businessman
Withdrawn
- Phil Perez, member of the Posen Park District Commission
- Max Solomon, attorney and candidate for governor in 2022 (running a write-in campaign for State Treasurer)
- Running mate: Geno Young, musician and candidate for Illinois's 1st congressional district in 2022
Disqualified
- Joseph Severino, capital management professional, nominee for Illinois's 10th congressional district in 2022 and independent candidate in 2024
- Running mate: Rantch Isquith, bank examiner
Declined
- Scott Gartner, mayor of Antioch (2021–present)
- Jeanne Ives, former state representative from the 42nd district (2013–2019), candidate for governor in 2018, and nominee for Illinois's 6th congressional district in 2020 (endorsed Dabrowski)
- Darin LaHood, U.S. representative from Illinois's 16th congressional district (2015–present) (running for re-election)
- Dan Ugaste, state representative from the 65th district (2019–present) (running for re-election)
Endorsements
Darren Bailey
James Mendrick
Declined to endorse
Third-party and independent candidates
Declared
Independents
- Collin Corbett, former Republican campaign strategist
- Running mate: Carolyn Schofield, Republican candidate for lieutenant governor in 2022
Illinois Solidarity Party
Declared Write-In
- Michael Vick, podcaster and pro-life activist
- Running mate: Gary Pierce, minister