The midterm election blowout delivered a new era in Washington, with Democrats in Congress eager to meet voter demands for change while Republicans watched their majorities evaporate after a revolt against President Donald Trump.
In addition, more than 71% voters in suburban Cook County also voted in favor of the nonbinding ballot question, according to unofficial results from the Cook County Clerk’s office.
Chicago appears set for a divided school board after residents elected a new president for the first time and a handful of Chicago Teachers Union-backed incumbents were defeated in Tuesday’s election.
Election 2026
JB Pritzker Wins Rare Third Term as Governor Defeating Darren Bailey in Rematch
Gov. JB Pritzker has touted his management of the state’s coffers and improvement of the badly out-of-whack finances he blames in large part on his Republican predecessor. For his part, Darren Bailey says property taxes and affordability are making Illinois an undesirable place to live.
Juliana Stratton Wins Race to Replace Dick Durbin in US Senate
Juliana Stratton, the former Illinois state representative and current lieutenant governor, will become just the sixth Black woman to serve in the U.S. Senate following her historic victory in Tuesday’s election. The Associated Press called the race for Stratton.
How Did Mississippi Become an Unlikely Senate Battleground?
As of Wednesday afternoon, Democrat Scott Colom was just a few dozen votes ahead of Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith in a contest that remains too close to call but underscores the midterms’ seismic shift toward Democrats, even in deep-red territory.
Biggs Declares Victory in Race to Become Chicago’s First Elected Board of Education President
Current board member Jessica Biggs, former Chicago Teachers Union political director Hilario Dominguez and trial attorney Victor Henderson squared off in Tuesday’s hotly contested election.
Federal Monitors Were Present at Some Chicago Polling Locations; Ballot Shortages Reported at Multiple Sites
Presidential elections typically drive higher turnout than midterms. However, a combination of factors from the economy to the actions of federal immigration agents have potential to drive more people to the polls in 2026.
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Policing
Since 2019, the Chicago Police Department has operated under a consent decree.
This federal court order requires CPD to stop routinely violating Black and Latino residents’ constitutional
rights.
It also forces the overhaul of how officers are trained, supervised and disciplined.
WTTW News dives deep into why reform is so slow and how policing in Chicago continues to evolve.
