The midterm elections are swiftly approaching, with the date set for Nov. 8. Students will have school off, primarily to allow seniors and teachers to vote. If you’re planning to vote and are looking for some extra information on what will be on your ballot, or if you just want to know what to stay up to date on, look no further. This article will cover Senate, House, and gubernatorial elections in Illinois, as well as major races across the country.  

ILLINOIS RACES

Senate

Candidate: Tammy Duckworth 

Party: Democrat

Incumbent: Yes 

Issues

• Keeping Illinois agricultural industry strong
• Supporting gun control legislation, as well as prison and police reform
• Improving access to public education, as well as quality secondary and post-secondary education
• Cutting carbon emissions and creating green jobs
• Increasing access to affordable healthcare
• Authorizing increased military force in the war on terror

Candidate: Kathy Salvi 

Party: Republican 

Incumbent: No

Issues 

• Increasing domestic production of energy
• Increasing border patrol and reducing drug flow
• Increasing police funding
• Giving parents the ability to make choices in their child’s education

Candidate: Bill Redpath 

Party: Libertarian 

Incumbent: No 

Issues

• Staying out of the war in Ukraine
• Eliminating mask, vaccine or any other COVID-related mandate
• Reducing federal spending
• Repealing the Affordable Care Act and delegating healthcare welfare to the states
• Reforming Social Security and Medicare to be benefits accrued through a lifetime of work
• Phasing Medicaid into a state-funded program
• Reducing military spending
• Unilaterally ending trade restrictions and tariffs
• Ending drug and gambling prohibitions

House of Representatives

Note: Information on issues is included for frontrunner Democratic and Republican candidates. If information was not available on a candidate, such was noted. 

DISTRICT 1 (SOUTHEAST SIDE)

Jonathan Jackson  (D)

Issues 

• Increasing business opportunities for communities of color
• Increasing access to affordable housing
• Improving public transportation and other infrastructure
• Improving public education; increasing gun control legislation 

Eric Carlson  (R)

Issues

• Decreasing crime
• Lowering cost of living
• Increasing sanctions on China and Russia
• Reforming the criminal justice system
• Securing the southern border
• Lessening climate regulations
• Banning CRT
• Dismantling teachers’ unions

DISTRICT 4 (NORTHWEST, WEST, AND SOUTHWEST SIDES)

Jesus Garcia  (D – Incumbent) 

Issues

• Increasing support for agricultural areas
• Securing civil rights for all
• Reforming the criminal justice system
• Lessening student debt
• Creating a green economy
• Reforming the immigration system 

James Falakos  (R)

Issues: Limited information available 

DISTRICT 5 (NORTH SIDE)

Mike Quigley  (D – Incumbent) 

Issues

• Creating a sustainable budget
• Protecting reproductive rights
• Supporting Chicagoans through economic struggles
• Protecting civil rights
• Increasing gun control legislation

Tom Hanson  (R) 

Issues: Limited information available 

Jerico Matias Cruz  (I)

DISTRICT 7 (NORTH AND SOUTHWEST SIDES)

Danny K. Davis  (D – Incumbent) 

Issues 

• Protecting civil rights
• Increasing consumer and labor protections
• Reforming the criminal justice system
• Reforming health care 

Chad Koppie  (R) 

Issues

• Protecting the 2nd Amendment
• Returning control of schools to the local level
• Restricting gay marriage
• Restricting abortion access
• Limiting government power
• Restricting immigration and ending Illinois’ status as a sanctuary state

GUBERNATORIAL

Candidate: J.B. Pritzker 

Party: Democrat

Incumbent: Yes 

Issues

• Setting up a clean energy future
• Expanding access to healthcare statewide
• Reducing violence and increasing funding for mental health resources and suicide prevention programs
• Strengthening downstate economies
• Increasing access to mail-in voting
• Ensuring schools are safe for trans, non-binary and gender-nonconforming students
• Reforming criminal justice
• Protecting abortion rights and access
• Expanding early childcare financial aid 

Candidate: Darren Bailey 

Party: Republican 

Incumbent: No 

Issues 

• Restricting abortion access
• Supporting the second amendment
• Filling education funding gaps, but cutting funding on the administrative side 
• Strengthening Illinois’ agricultural economy
• Supporting term limits for all politicians 

Candidate: Scott Schluter 

Party: Libertarian 

Incumbent: No

Issues

• Establishing term limits
• Reducing government spending
• Decriminalising all drugs and supporting treatment over jail sentences
• Reforming the criminal justice system, including overhauling no-knock raids and cash bail
• Supporting the second amendment

OTHER MAJOR SENATE RACES

State: Pennsylvania 

Candidates: John Fetterman (D), Mehmet Oz (R) 

State: Georgia 

Candidates: Raphael Warnock (D – Incumbent), Herschel Walker (R) 

State: Arizona

Candidates: Mark Kelly (D – Incumbent), Blake Masters (R) 

State: Nevada

Candidates: Catherine Cortez Masto (D – Incumbent), Adam Laxalt (R) 

State: North Carolina 

Candidates: Ted Budd (R), Cheri Beasley (D)

State: Wisconsin 

Candidates: Ron Johnson (R – Incumbent), Mandela Barnes (D)

State: Ohio

Candidates: Tim Ryan (D), J.D. Vance (R) 

State: New Hampshire

Candidates: Maggie Hassan (D – Incumbent), Don Bolduc (R) 

State: Florida

Candidates: Marco Rubio (R – Incumbent), Val Demings (D) 

State: Colorado

Candidates: Michael Bennet (D – Incumbent), Joe O’Dea (R) 

Regardless of where you stand on any of these issues, go vote, and make an educated decision. Read up on your candidate of choice – they’ll be representing you for anywhere from two to six years, so be sure that they’re making statements you stand behind.