Politics

12 Incumbents in Illinois Seek to Keep US House Seats

Polls have closed in Illinois. Five of the state’s U.S. House of Representatives seats are open this year, while incumbents are seeking reelection in the remaining 12 congressional districts.

There’s been a lot of attention on the competitive U.S. House races across the country that will determine whether Republicans keep their majority or Democrats flip control, but most U.S House races are not considered competitive, according to the nonpartisan organization Cook Political Report.

That’s the case for the U.S. House races across Illinois with incumbent candidates on the ballot. Here are the races where incumbents of both parties are vying to keep their seats.

1st District

Illinois’ 1st Congressional District covers parts of Chicago’s South Side, south suburban Cook County, and parts of Will and Kankakee counties.

Democratic incumbent U.S. House Rep. Jonathan Jackson assumed office in 2023 and is seeking a third term in Congress. Jackson’s work focuses on championing civil rights and social reform for marginalized and underserved communities, according to a biography. Jackson was born to civil rights leaders, the late Rev. Jesse Jackson and Jacqueline Jackson. Jackson serves on the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Committee on Agriculture. The U.S. House district seat has been held by a Black representative since 1929, and before Jackson, was last held by longtime Democrat and civil rights activist Bobby Rush, who had announced his retirement after 30 years in office.

Running against Jackson is Republican Christian Maxwell, an entrepreneur and business strategist. Maxwell said she wants to bring concerns of the middle class to Washington, D.C., and wants to be a voice for parents, workers and small business owners. “I believe in safer streets, better schools, economic opportunity, and leaders who actually listen to their constituents,” according to Maxwell’s campaign website.

3rd District

Illinois’ 3rd Congressional District includes a large part of Chicago’s Northwest Side and northwest suburban Cook County and portions of DuPage County.

Democratic incumbent U.S. House Rep. Delia Ramirez assumed office in 2023 and is seeking a third term in Congress. Ramirez has been an outspoken critic of the Trump administration’s “Operation Midway Blitz” in Chicago and has led efforts to dismantle the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and abolish Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Ramirez’s district represents one of the largest Latino communities in the state. Ramirez serves on the Committee on Homeland Security and the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs. Ramirez is an advocate of Medicare For All, raising the federal minimum wage and comprehensive immigration reform. 

Ramirez’s opponent is Republican Angel Oakley, a former Winfield village trustee and village communications commissioner. “I’m running because I feel called to serve at such a time as this,” Oakley wrote in WTTW News’ 2026 Voter Guide. “I love this country, and I’m watching our Union be pulled apart.”

5th District

Illinois’ 5th Congressional District includes portions of Chicago’s North and Northwest sides and northwest suburban Cook County.

Democratic incumbent U.S. House Rep. Mike Quigley assumed office in 2009 and is seeking a 10th term in Congress. Quigley has fought for the environment, small businesses, the LGBTQ community, healthcare access and ending gun violence, according to a biography. Quigley serves on the House Appropriations Committee and the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. Quigley is a staunch advocate for U.S. support for Ukraine following Russia’s invasion of the country. Quigley is critical of President Donald Trump’s tariffs and the U.S. war with Iran. Quigley has announced a bid for mayor in Chicago’s upcoming mayoral race in February, despite also running to retain his seat in Congress. 

Running against Quigley in this election is Republican Tommy Hanson, who works in commercial real estate. Hanson describes himself as a “common-sense conservative,” according to his campaign website. He says he believes in fiscal responsibility, full funding of law enforcement and “smart growth.”

6th District

Illinois’ 6th Congressional District includes portions of suburban Cook and DuPage counties, as well as portions of the South and Southwest sides of Chicago.

Democratic incumbent U.S. House Rep. Sean Casten assumed office in 2019 and is seeking a fifth term in Congress. While in office, Casten has supported legislation with a focus on creating jobs, affirming women’s rights, protecting seniors and advocating for clean energy, according to his campaign website. Casten previously worked as a biochemical engineer and scientist and was also a clean energy entrepreneur and business leader. Casten serves on the House Financial Services Committee and the Joint Economic Committee. 

Running against Casten is Republican Niki Conforti, an energy consultant who previously worked in healthcare administration. “We currently have no representation in Congress from the current seated Democrat,” Conforti wrote in WTTW News’ 2026 Voter Guide. “I plan to win the seat in November and give the people a voice.”

10th District

Illinois’ 10th Congressional District includes parts of north suburban Cook County and Lake counties.

Democrat incumbent U.S. House Rep. Brad Schneider was first elected to the seat in 2012, and after losing in 2014, was reelected in 2016; he has won reelection since. Schneider said he aims to protect the Affordable Care Act, Social Security and Medicare, a woman’s right to choose, the environment and the LGBTQ+ community, according to his campaign website. Schneider serves on the Committee on Ways and Means and the Committee on Foreign Affairs. Schneider chairs the New Democrat Coalition, representing center-left House Democrats. He also serves as a co-chair of the Congressional Jewish Caucus that was created last year. 

Also on the ballot is Republican Carl Lambrecht. According to the Daily Herald, Lambrecht doesn’t have a campaign website, hasn’t promoted public appearances or responded to media inquiries, hasn’t reported campaign fundraising or spending, or filed a standard statement of candidacy to the Federal Election Commission.

11th District

Illinois’ 11th Congressional District includes parts of DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry, Will, Boone, Cook and DeKalb counties.

Democratic incumbent U.S. House Rep. Bill Foster has represented the district since 2013. In WTTW News’ 2026 Voter Guide, Foster wrote about tackling a right-wing assault on reproductive freedom, gun violence, challenges posed by advances in artificial intelligence, affordability and the need to better protect the climate. Foster serves on the Committee on Financial Services and the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology. Before serving in Congress, Foster worked as a physicist and businessman. Foster is the only Ph.D. physicist in Congress. Foster represented the 14th Congressional District of Illinois from 2008 to 2011. 

Facing Foster in the race is Republican Jeff Walter, the mayor of Elburn who is a retired IT executive and retired master chief petty officer for the U.S. Navy. Walter wrote in WTTW News’ 2026 Voter Guide that he is running to “bring common sense back” to federal policymaking and is guided by the following principles: fiscal discipline, constitutional accountability, public safety and respect for individual liberty.

12th District

Illinois’ 12th Congressional District includes southern Illinois, as well as parts of eastern and southeastern Illinois.

Republican incumbent U.S. House Rep. Mike Bost assumed office in 2015 and is seeking a seventh term in Congress. Bost serves as chairman of the Veterans’ Affairs Committee; he also serves on the Transportation & Infrastructure Committee and the Committee on Agriculture. President Donald Trump has endorsed Bost’s reelection campaign. Bost is a conservative who is “unapologetically pro-life,” supports upholding Second Amendment rights and supports building a wall along the U.S. southern border, according to his campaign website. Bost has also challenged an Illinois law that allows the counting of ballots after Election Day — a challenge that was revived by the U.S. Supreme Court earlier this year. Bost formerly served in the U.S. Marine Corps and as a firefighter for the Murphysboro Fire Department.

Bost’s opponent is Democrat Julie Fortier, a U.S. Air Force veteran and cancer research scientist. Fortier is running to expand rural healthcare access, protect veterans, invest in public schools, tackle climate change and defend reproductive rights, according to her campaign website.

13th District

Illinois’ 13th Congressional District includes portions of central and southern Illinois.

Democratic incumbent U.S. House Rep. Nikki Budzinski assumed office in 2023 and is seeking a third term in Congress. In WTTW News’ 2026 Voter Guide, Budzinski wrote she is focused on two urgent priorities: standing up to Trump and lowering costs for working families. Budzinski serves on the Committee on Agriculture and the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs. Budzinski also serves as vice-chair of the Congressional Labor Caucus, which aims to protect workers’ rights and advance the labor movement. Budzinski was previously chief of staff in the Office of Management and Budget during the Biden administration and served as senior advisor to Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker. 

Running against Budzinski is Republican Jeff Wilson, a retired Champaign County board member. “Illinois is being decimated by far-left radical policies causing rising energy prices, more taxes, and lowering the standard of living,” Wilson wrote in WTTW News’ 2026 Voter Guide. “I am running to keep America first and to return Illinois to the great place it should be.”

14th District

Illinois’ 14th Congressional District includes parts of Kane and Will Counties, as well as parts of north central Illinois.

Democratic incumbent U.S. House Rep. Lauren Underwood was first elected into the seat in 2018 and is seeking a fifth term in Congress. Underwood is a registered nurse who co-founded and co-chairs the Black Maternal Health Caucus, which aims to address the Black maternal health crisis in the U.S. Underwood serves on the House Committee on Appropriations. Prior to serving in Congress, Underwood served as a senior advisor at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. “I am fighting for an affordable America to bring down the cost of housing, gas, groceries, health care, and child care for working families,” Underwood wrote in WTTW News’ 2026 Voter Guide. In 2018, Underwood flipped the district from red to blue, defeating four-term Republican incumbent Randy Hultgren.

Underwood’s opponent in the race is Republican James T. “Jim” Marter, an Oswego precinct committeeperson for Kendall County Republicans. “I will fight to protect your God-given rights and work hard to stop the waste, fraud and abuse that is robbing you of your hard earned income,” according to his campaign website.

15th District

Illinois’ 15th Congressional District includes portions of central, eastern and western Illinois.

Republican incumbent U.S. House Rep. Mary Miller assumed office in 2021 and is seeking a fourth term in Congress. Miller identifies as a conservative who is pro-life and who fights for the Second Amendment and ballot security, according to her campaign website. Miller is a vocal critic of transgender rights. Miller also opposed COVID-19 vaccine mandates and critical race theory being taught in public schools. Miller serves on the Committees on Agriculture, Education and Workforce, and House Administration. Miller said she was inspired in 2020 to run for Congress by Trump, according to her campaign website. Miller remains a loyal supporter of the president, and Trump endorsed Miller’s reelection campaign.

Running against Miller is Democrat Jennifer Todd, a retired registered nurse. “I keep hearing the same things: people are worried about the cost of groceries and gas, healthcare and prescription drugs, keeping their farms in the family, the future of their schools, and whether anyone in Washington is actually listening,” Todd wrote in WTTW News’ 2026 Voter Guide. “That’s why I’m running.”

16th District

Illinois’ 16th Congressional District includes parts of northwest and central Illinois.

Republican incumbent U.S. House Rep. Darin LaHood was first elected to the U.S. House of Representatives after winning a special election in 2015. LaHood is seeking a sixth full term in Congress. He has advocated for reducing the federal deficit, improving international market access for Illinois farmers, lowering taxes for working families and supporting rural healthcare providers and patient access, according to his website. Trump endorsed LaHood’s reelection campaign, but LaHood has at times distanced himself from the president on key issues like the economy and international relations, reported the Peoria Journal Star. LaHood serves on the Committee on Ways & Means, the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence and the Select Committee on Strategic Competition between the U.S. and the Chinese Communist Party. Between 2015 and 2023, LaHood represented the 18th Congressional District, serving parts of central and west-central Illinois. LaHood was then drawn into the current 16th Congressional District following a redistricting process. 

Facing LaHood on the ballot is Democrat Paul Nolley, executive director of Project First Rate, a partnership organization between union contractors and tradespeople. “I truly believe that if regular people like me do not stand up, get involved, and fight back against the forces of authoritarianism and concentrated economic power, our children will not have the same opportunities or privileges we had,” Nolley wrote in WTTW News’ 2026 Voter Guide. 

17th District

Illinois’ 17th Congressional District includes parts of northwest and central Illinois. 

Democratic incumbent U.S. House Rep. Eric Sorensen assumed office in 2023 and is seeking a third term in Congress. On his campaign website, Sorensen said he aims to tackle the high cost of living, from the pharmacy to the family farm to the fuel pump. Sorensen serves on the Agriculture Committee and the Armed Services Committee. Before joining Congress, Sorensen was a meteorologist. “For over twenty years, I was trusted by the people of Northern Illinois to look out for them during the worst kinds of weather,” Sorensen wrote in WTTW News’ 2026 Voter Guide. “But for the last 3.5 years, I’ve been working to protect them from a different storm—the one raging in Washington.”

Sorensen’s opponent is Republican Dillan Vancil, who is self-employed. “I’m running because our district deserves a better path forward for the next generation, and real relief for the working families and retirees who feel left behind here in Illinois,” Vancil wrote in WTTW News’ 2026 Voter Guide. 

Contact Eunice Alpasan: [email protected]

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