City Cast Chicago logo

Illinois Primary Races We're Watching

Posted on March 15, 2024   |   Updated on September 30, 2025
City Cast Chicago staff

City Cast Chicago staff

A Chicago voter shows ''I voted'' sticker for 2024 primary elections

A Chicago voter shows ''I voted'' sticker for 2024 primary elections. (Jacek Boczarski / Anadolu / Getty)

Voters have a lot of big decisions to make Tuesday — from contested races to a controversial ballot measure. After you figure out where you're going to vote on Election Day, the City Cast Chicago team is ready to walk you through the races we're watching.

City Cast

Tax Referendum is Back, Migrant Shelter Complaints, and Students Open Farm

00:00:00

Chicagoans will decide whether to raise the tax on property sales over $1 million to fight homelessness. If the binding referendum passes, it is will be the first in Chicago in almost 140 years — and it hasn't been exactly smooth sailing to get it on the ballot.

Headshots of University of Chicago lecturer Clayton Harris III and former state appellate justice Eileen O’Neill Burke

University of Chicago lecturer Clayton Harris III and former state appellate justice Eileen O’Neill Burke are running to be the county's top prosecutor. (Courtesy of the Harris and O'Neill Burke campaigns)

City Cast

Who Will Be Cook County's Next Top Prosecutor?

00:00:00

Who will replace outgoing State's Attorney Kim Foxx? University of Chicago lecturer Clayton Harris III and former state appellate justice Eileen O’Neill Burke have been vying to be Cook County's next top prosecutor in one of the more high-profile races on the Democratic ballot.

City Cast

What’s Next for Prosecutor’s Office After Kim Foxx?

00:00:00
Headshots of community organizer Kina Collins and U.S. Rep. Danny Davis

Community organizer Kina Collins is challenging U.S. Rep. Danny Davis in the Democratic primary in the Illinois 7th Congressional District — again. (Erin Hooley / Tribune / Getty)

City Cast

Congressional Rematch, School Board Election Plan, and Fantasy Fest Lineup

00:00:00
  • Will the third time be the charm for activist Kina Collins to clinch the 7th District seat U.S. Rep. Danny Davis has held for almost 30 years? The incumbent is also facing a challenge from Chicago Treasurer Melissa Conyears-Ervin and two others in the Democratic primary.
  • In the 4th District, 15th Ward Ald. Ray Lopez is challenging U.S. Rep. Jesús "Chuy" Garcia. The Democrats are pretty different ideologically.
  • Former state lawmaker and gubernatorial candidate Darren Bailey wants U.S. Rep. Mike Bost's 12th District seat, one of the most conservative districts in Illinois.
The current Cook County Democratic Party committeepeople for Chicago’s 50 wards

The current Cook County Democratic Party committeepeople for Chicago’s 50 wards. (Cook County Democratic Party)

City Cast

3 Primary Races More Exciting Than President

00:00:00
  • The Democratic race for a seat on the three-person Cook County Board of Review has turned into a proxy war between senior member Larry Rogers Jr. and Cook County Assessor Fritz Kaegi, who is backing challenger Larecia Tucker.
  • Cook County Circuit Clerk Iris Y. Martinez is up against Metropolitan Water Reclamation District Commissioner Mariyana Spyropoulos, who is running to professionalize the office.
  • Ward committepeople, aka former ward bosses, are also on the ballot. But they don't hold anywhere close to the power they once did.
see more:elections

Share article

Hey Chicago

Stay connected to City Cast Chicago and get ready to join the local conversation.

Can't subscribe? Turn off your ad blocker and try again.

The latest in Chicago

Chicago, ExplainedAugust 21

Take This Week's Chicago News Trivia Quiz

How closely were you paying attention to this week's current events in Chicago? Test yourself in our weekly trivia quiz.

A man in a cubs uniform bracing for a man in a white sox stealing a base
Keep It LocalAugust 20

How Transit Tees Turns Chicago’s Quirks Into Board Games

From board games about the city’s history to puzzles of iconic maps to card decks featuring local wildlife, Transit Tees’ teams of creato...

A person writing on a gridded paper that says "Chicago 1893" There's also a board game with an assortment of different houses for the board game on it. There is also A bowl of popcorn and a soda on the table
Keep It LocalAugust 20

Your Guide to Chicago’s Toy Stores

From vintage toys to a workshop series for aspiring toy inventors, Here's a list of places that’ll help you spoil the kids in your life a...

A table with an assortment of different stuffed animals
Keep It LocalAugust 13

Your Guide to Chicago’s Stationery Stores

Whether you’re actually going back to school soon or you just love analog hobbies, these local shops will help you find all kinds of stat...

A large group of people inside a store. They are looking at an assortment of items
Food & DrinkAugust 13

5 New Spots to Dine and Drink

Chicago is hot AF right now — and so is the dining scene. These recent openings have caught our eye.

A room with velvet drapes on every wall. On the ceiling there are chandeliers and people are sitting at a booth
Keep It LocalAugust 13

Family-Run Atlas Stationers Has Supplied Chicago’s Pens For Decades

For decades, the family-run shop delivered office supplies in bulk to offices in the Loop.

The outside of a brick building, the sign says "Atlas Stationers Inc"
Keep It LocalAugust 6

Your Guide to Dog-Friendly Patios

Want to enjoy patio weather, but hate leaving your pup at home? Check out our guide on the best dog-friendly patios in Chicago.

A curly-haired golden doodle wearing a harness steps into a small blue kiddie pool filled with colorful beach balls at a dog-friendly outdoor patio, with diners seated under blue and white striped umbrellas in the background.
Keep It LocalJuly 30

Why Creatives Love Epiphany Center for the Arts

Five years ago, a group of artists transformed a shuttered, historic church at 201 S. Ashland Ave. into Epiphany Center for the Arts. Sin...

An indoor space with hanging lights and a wood floor. The walls are short but the roof is very tall. There are small remnants of a church left like the windows