Illinois Election: Voters decide in 2022 midterm elections

Gov. JB Pritzker defeats Darren Bailey for second term

We have the results in several key races, including the races for Illinois governor, secretary of state, and attorney general; several key congressional races; two Illinois Supreme Court races, and more.

Read below for the winners in key races, and for reaction from the various campaigns.

2022 Illinois General Election Results

 

U.S. Rep. Robin Kelly projected to win re-election

The AP has projected Congresswoman Robin Kelly has defeated Republican challenger Thomas Lynch in the 2nd District in Illinois.

With 71% of the votes counted, Kelly had 68.3% of the vote compared to Lynch's 31.7%.

By Todd Feurer
 

Attorney General Kwame Raoul declares victory over Republican challenger Tom DeVore

Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul declared victory Tuesday night in his bid for a second term against Republican challenger Thomas DeVore.

With 73% of the votes counted, Raoul was leading with 55.3% over DeVore at 42.5%, with Libertarian candidate Daniel Robin a distant third at 2.2%

READ MORE

By Todd Feurer
 

Democrats sweep elected offices for Cook County

Toni Preckwinkle was elected to a fourth term as Cook County Board President, capturing 67 percent of the vote. Republican opponent Bob Fioretti won 30 percent of the vote, and Libertarian Thea Tsatsos won 3 percent.

Preckwinkle, an alumnus of the University of Chicago for her bachelor's and master's degrees, served five terms as alderwoman of the 4th Ward in the Chicago City Council before being elected County Board President. She defeated incumbent Todd Stroger in the primary in 2010 and went on to win the general election.

Fioretti served two terms as alderman of the 2nd Ward in the Chicago City Council. He ran unsuccessfully for Mayor of Chicago in 2015 and 2019, and for County Board President in 2018. He also lost the Democratic primary for the 5th District in the Illinois State Senate in 2016, and the Democratic primary for Cook County State's Attorney in 2020.

Fioretti switched to the Republican Party for his County Board run this year.

Meanwhile, Democratic incumbent Fritz Kaegi won reelection as Cook County Assessor, capturing 81.5 percent of the vote compared with 18 percent for Libertarian Nico Tsatsoulis.

For Cook County Clerk, Democratic incumbent Karen Yarborough won with 70.2 percent against Republican Tony Peraica – a former Cook County Commissioner and unsuccessful 2006 candidate for Cook County Board President – and Libertarian Joseph Schreinder.

For Cook County Treasurer, Maria Pappas was elected to a seventh term. She won 74 percent of the vote, compared with 23 percent for Barrington Township Republican Committeeman Peter Kopsaftis, and 2 percent for Libertarian Michael Murphy.

By Adam Harrington
 

'I was confident': Sean Casten talks re-election victory

U.S. Rep. Sean Casten spoke to CBS 2 about his race for re-election after he was projected winner of the tight race for the 6th Congressional District against Keith Pekau.

'I was confident': U.S. Rep. Sean Casten speaks after re-election victory
By Alex Ortiz
 

Congressman Darin LaHood projected to defeat Democrat Elizabeth Haderlein

The AP has projected U.S. Rep. Darin LaHood as the winner in the Illinois 16th Congressional District over Democratic challenger Elizabeth Haderlein.

With 80% of the votes counted, LaHood was leading with 66.6% of the vote, compared to Haderlein's 33.4%.

By Todd Feurer
 

U.S. Rep. Mary Miller projected to win re-election

The AP has projected Congresswoman Mary Miller has defeated Democratic challenger Paul Lange in the 15th District in downstate Illinois.

With 59% of the votes counted, Miller led Lang by a 70.5% to 29.5% margin.

By Todd Feurer
 

Congressman Mike Bost projected to defeat Democratic challenger

The AP has projected U.S. Rep. Mike Bost has defeated Democratic challenger Homer Markel in the 12th Congressional District in Illinois.

With 65% of the votes counted, Bost led Markel by a 74.4% to 25.6% margin.

By Todd Feurer
 

Rep. Brad Schneider projected to win re-election

The AP has projected Congressman Brad Schneider has defeated Republican challenger Joseph Severino in the 10th District in Illinois.

With 91% of the vote counted, Schneider led 63.5% to 36.5% over Severino.

By Todd Feurer
 

Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky projected to win re-election

The AP has projected U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky has won re-election against Republican challenger Maxwell Rice in the 9th District in Illinois.

With 85% of the vote counted, Schakowsky was leading Rice 72.3% to 27.7%.

By Todd Feurer
 

Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi projected to defeat GOP challenger Chris Dargis

The AP has projected Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi has defeated Republican challenger Chris Dargis in the 8th Congressional District in Illinois.

With 84% of the vote counted, Krishamoorthi was leading Dargis 56.2% to 43.8%.

By Todd Feurer
 

Congressman Mike Quigley projected to defeat Republican Tommy Hanson

Longtime Congressman Mike Quigley defeated Republican challenger Tommy Hanson in the 5th Congressional District.

With 97% of the vote counted, Quigley led Hanson 67.6% to 30.8%, with independent candidate Jerico Matias Cruz a distant third at 1.6%

By Todd Feurer
 

Lauren Underwood declares victory over GOP challenger Scott Gryder

Incumbent Democratic U.S. Rep. Lauren Underwood declared victory in her race over Republican challenger Scott Gryder.

"This victory tonight belongs to each of you," she said in a speech to supporters. "I hope you take the time to celebrate it, because we earned it."

The AP nor CBS has called the race in the 14th Congressional District, but with 82% of the votes in, Underwood leads Gryder by a 53% to 46% margin.

By Alex Ortiz
 

Frerichs, Mendoza lead in races for Illinois treasturer, comptroller

Democratic incumbents were well ahead Tuesday night in the race for Illinois treasurer and comptroller.

As of just before 11 p.m. Monday, Democratic incumbent Michael Frerichs was ahead in the race for Illinois Treasurer at 55.5 percent, compared with 42 percent for Republican Tom Demmer and 2 percent for Libertarian Preston Nelson.

Frerichs, a former Champaign County auditor and Illinois state senator, was first elected treasurer in 2014.

Demmer, of Dixon, is an Illinois state representative. Nelson works as a solar energy consultant.

Meanwhile, Democratic incumbent Susana Mendoza was well ahead in the race for Illinois Comptroller Tuesday night, with 58 percent of the vote compared with 40 percent for Republican Shannon Teresi, and 2 percent for Libertarian Deirdre McCloskey.

Mendoza served six terms in the Illinois State House and two terms as Chicago city clerk before being elected state comptroller in 2016.

Teresi is a certified fraud examiner. McCloskey is an economist and professor emerita at the University of Illinois at Chicago.

By Adam Harrington
 

Indiana Election: Frank Mrvan projected winner over Jennifer-Ruth Green

(CBS) – Rep. Frank Mrvan was the projected winner early Wednesday, while facing an unusually strong challenge from a Republican opponent in Indiana's 1st Congressional District.

Mrvan was leading by about 6% over Jennifer-Ruth Green, a well-funded supporter of former President Donald J. Trump. AP declared him the projected winner around 1 a.m.  CBS News projected the race was leaning toward Mrvan as outstanding absentee ballots were being counted in Lake County. 

Campaign ads for both candidates played constantly on Chicago television stations, which is unusual for that district. 

Mrvan, whose family is a staple in Democrat politics in Lake County, easily won his first term in Congress in 2020. 

He replaced Pete Visclosky, who retired after 18 terms. 

By John Dodge
 

Democrats expected to keep majority on state's Supreme Court

Illinois Democrats appeared poised to maintain their partisan majority on the Illinois Supreme Court, fending off an attempt by Republicans to swing the balance of power on the state's highest court to the GOP for the first time in more than 50 years.

Two seats on the Illinois Supreme Court were up for election on Tuesday. Illinois is only one of eight states where voters decide who will serve on the state's highest court – and multiple vacancies are rare. Democrats needed to win only one of the two seats to keep their majority.

One race is in the Supreme Court's Second District – composed primarily of northern and western collar counties. It includes Lake, McHenry, Kane, Kendall, and DeKalb counties. A vacancy there has former Republican Lake County Sheriff Mark Curran running against Lake County Judge Elizabeth Rochford, a Democrat.

Rochford declared victory for the Second District seat Tuesday night, and her campaign said Curran had called to congratulate her on the win.

With 78% of the vote counted as of 10:30 p.m., Rochford was leading Curran by a 56.1% to 43.9% margin.

READ MORE

By Todd Feurer
 

Casten says Pekau calls to concede in tight 6th Congressional District race

U.S. Rep. Sean Casten said he received a concession call from his Republican challenger Keith Pekau in the tight race for the 6th Congressional District.

Neither CBS nor the AP have called the race, but with 93% of the vote in, Casten leads Pekau by a 54% to 46% margin.

An emotional Casten spoke Tuesday night about his daughter Gwen who died earlier this year as he sought re-election.

Emotional U.S. Rep. Sean Casten remembers late daughter as he awaits results in tight race
By Alex Ortiz
 

AP projects Delia Ramirez winner in 3rd Congressional District race

The AP has projected Democratic Illinois State Rep. Delia Ramirez as the winner in the race for the 3rd Congressional District over Republican Justin Burau in an open seat.

State lawmakers redrew the 3rd District to create the state's second district likely to elect a Latino to Congress, to capitalize on the group's growing population in Chicago.

With 69% of the vote in, Ramirez held a 65% to 34% lead over Burau.

By Alex Ortiz
 

Bailey concedes governor's race, but says there's "still room for a miracle"

Republican candidate for governor Darren Bailey conceded about an hour after Gov. JB Pritzker declared victory, though he maintained, "there's still room for a miracle."

"Still room for a miracle until all the votes are counted, but from what we know, tonight didn't turn out the way we wanted," he said.

"The things that we want, the things that unite us are the same, and they always have been," he added. "I may not be going to Springfield as your next governor, but I will never stop fighting for you."

Illinois Election: Darren Bailey concedes in race for governor
By Todd Feurer
 

Former Gov. Quinn calls on Gov. Pritzker to support stronger ethics laws

Former Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn joined CBS 2's Brad Edwards Tuesday night to talk about Gov. JB Pritzker's victory for a second term Tuesday night. Quinn – who was governor at a time when his two most recent predecessors were in prison on corruption convictions – also talks about the work that remains to be done in Illinois on that front.

Former Gov. Pat Quinn on the 2022 Illinois gubernatorial race
By Adam Harrington
 

U.S. Rep. Bill Foster declares victory over GOP challenger

Democratic incumbent U.S. Rep. Bill Foster declared victory over his Republican challenger Catalina Lauf in the race for the 11th Congressional District.

CBS News nor the AP have officially called the race as of 10:20 p.m.

Foster is a trained physicist who's spent 12 of the last 14 years as a member of the House of Representatives.

Lauf served as a special advisor in the U.S. Department of Commerce during the Trump Administration. She ran unsuccessfully in the GOP primary for the 14th Congressional District in 2020.

With 74% of the vote in, Foster holds a 58% to 41% lead over Lauf, according to CBS News.

By Alex Ortiz
 

Giannoulias declares victory in race for Secretary of State

Democrat Alexi Giannoulias declared victory Tuesday night in the race for Illinois Secretary of State.

CBS News and The Associated Press had not officially called the race as of 9:30 p.m., but Republican Dan Brady conceded to Giannoulias.

With 46 percent of votes counted, Giannoulias had 58 percent of the vote, compared with 40 percent for Brady and 2 percent for Libertarian Jon Stewart.

In his victory speech, Giannoulias emphasized the need for government to restore public trust – particularly with concerns about what the election Tuesday night could mean on a national level.

"The people of Illinois have now entrusted me with the office that touches so many parts of your lives, and I promise you that I will earn that trust – and the Secretary of State's office will make your lives better," he said.

Giannoulias said he would also focus on bringing trust and integrity back to Springfield – so that Illinois residents no longer find themselves paying a "corruption tax."

He urged people not to lose faith in government.

"There are people in office and running for office across the country that want to fight for you every single day, and I will fight for you every single day," Giannoulas said.

By Adam Harrington
 

Democrat Jonathan Jackson declares victory in 1st Congressional District

Democrat Jonathan Jackson – a son of the Rev. Jesse Jackson – declared victory Tuesday night in the race for the 1st Congressional District. 

CBS News and The Associated Press have not called the race. But with 35 percent of the precincts reporting, Jackson had a comfortable lead of 79 percent compared with 21 percent for Carlson.

Jackson will succeed U.S. Rep. Bobby Rush (D-Illinois), and Rush symbolically passed the torch to Jackson at a victory party Tuesday night. The actual item Rush passed along was in his words, "more symbolic than a torch" – it was an African statue symbolizing unity and community.

Jackson gave credit to his famous Civil Rights leader father in his victory speech.

"I've seen my father bring the hostages home. I've watched my father create trade agreements and alliances with corporate America to bring our resources back. I've watched my father be a voice for the voiceless. I've watched my father – with just the faith that he's had and his belief in his God – try to make a better humanity," Jackson said. "But on this day, I can watch my father see that I want to be just like him, and carry his name and good works forward."

Jackson was up against Republican Eric Carlson.

By Adam Harrington
 

Former Illinois Gov. Jim Edgar: GOP is now a 'Trump party'

Former Illinois Gov. Jim Edgar joins CBS 2's Brad Edwards on the stream to talk about the early returns in the 2022 midterm election and the partisan direction of Illinois as Republicans yet again struggle in statewide races.

Former Illinois Gov. Jim Edgar: GOP is now a ‘Trump party’
By Alex Ortiz
 

Pritzker "thrilled to spend four more years as your governor"

In a victory speech, Gov. JB Pritzker said he was grateful for winning a second term as a crowd of supporters chanted "four more years" at a victory rally in the South Loop.

"I'm grateful tonight that Illinois continues a long tradition of peaceful and fair elections, and I am so thrilled to spend four more years as your governor," he said.

Pritzker said he's ready for a fight in the years ahead "as our nation's fundamental ideals are under siege."

"Two of the nation's biggest MAGA Republican billionaires, along with their teams of political grifters, they spewed lies and innuendo, and you showed them that Illinois is a state that stands up for working families and rejects their selfish agenda," he said, referring to GOP megadonors Ken Griffin and Dick Uihlein, who pumped tens of millions of dollars into the election in support of Pritzker's Republican opponents in the primary and general election.

Illinois Election: Gov. JB Pritzker declares victory in re-election bid
By Todd Feurer
 

Rep. Chuy Garcia: 'I will now begin serving my third term in Congress'

As presumed winner for another term, U.S. Rep. Jesus "Chuy" Garcia (D-Illinois) gave a speech at his Little Village campaign party headquarters calling on his supporters to fight for struggling and marginalized and people.

The election has not been called, but as of 8:40 p.m. Tuesday, Garcia had 69 percent of the vote – compared with 28 percent for Republican James Falakos and 3 percent for Working Class Party candidate Edward Hershey.

The U-shaped district includes large parts of Chicago's Northwest and Southwest sides, as well as suburban communities stretch from Melrose Park to Berkeley, Hillside, and Cicero.

"I will now begin serving my third term in Congress," Garcia said.

However, sources said Garcia will be launching a bid for mayor of Chicago this coming Thursday. Garcia also ran for mayor in 2015, when he forced then-Mayor Rahm Emanuel into the city's first mayoral runoff election, but lost 56 percent to 44 percent.

Garcia has been flirting with a second mayoral bid for months, but has so far been noncommittal as he runs for re-election to Congress. He has said he's reluctant to leave Congress given the growing number of Republican candidates for Congress who have supported former President Donald Trump's baseless claims that the 2020 presidential election was stolen, and have even taken actions to try to overturn the 2020 election results.

During his speech Tuesday night, Garcia acknowledged the victory of some down-ballot candidates – including Metropolitan Water Reclamation District candidate Dan "Pogo" Pogorzelski. He also pledged to stand up for organized labor, and to protect the rights of women and their reproductive health. He also called for "protecting and improving safety in our neighborhoods and fighting for equity in all our lives."

By Adam Harrington
 

AP projects U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth wins re-election over challenger Kathy Salvi

U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth has won a second term over Republican challenger Kathy Salvi, the Associated Press projects.

As of 8:20 p.m., with 26% of the votes counted, Duckworth was leading with 60.6% of the vote to Salvi's 37.9%, with Libertarian candidate Bill Redpath a distant third with 1.5%.

By Alex Ortiz
 

Early analysis and reaction from U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin

U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin joined the stream just as the polls closed in Illinois to offer is response to early results, and an analysis of what's ahead for Congress if Republicans win the House, as expected.

Illinois Election: Analysis and reaction from U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin
By Todd Feurer
 

Former GOP Chairman Pat Brady: Illinois GOP is on wrong track

With Republican gubernatorial candidate Darren Bailey having been projected to lose to incumbent Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker as soon as the polls close Tuesday, former Illinois Republican Party Chairman Pat Brady said the Illinois GOP may have trouble winning elections in the future if they continue on their current track.

Brady noted that billionaire Ken Griffin spent $56 million on Aurora Mayor Richard Irvin in the Republican gubernatorial primary – and Irvin lost, coming in third place. Businessman Richard Uihlein also put in $60 million, Brady noted.

A total of $130 million was poured into the GOP race for governor, and Baily was projected to have lost right away, Brady said. He said the underlying problem was the Illinois GOP running far-right candidate, rather than a moderate like past Republican governors.

"If Darren Bailey gets 57 percent of the vote in a five-way primary and gets beaten – they declared a winner at 7:01, literally 7:01 – we're not putting up candidates that win," Brady said. "We're not Alabama. We're Illinois. We're a blue state."

Brady noted that Illinois had Republican governors for 25 years – first Jim Thompson, then Jim Edgar, and finally George Ryan. But none represented the far right the way Bailey did, he said.

"We can do it, but we can't do it under this model and the experiment of the far right of the party putting up a candidate and keeping him there – it doesn't work. I've been saying that for 10 years – it doesn't work," Brady said. "Now we have proof positive – $130 million and he loses immediately. That's horrible."

When CBS 2's Joe Donlon noted that 57 percent of Republican primary voters backed Bailey, Brady said it may be time to consider a third party.

Illinois Election: Rep. Chuy Garcia's future, concerns about Illinois GOP
By Adam Harrington
 

Chicago voter turnout at 41.3% at 7 p.m.

Voter turnout for the city of Chicago of closing time for the polls at 7 p.m. was 41.3 percent.

A total of 636,691 ballots were cast out of 1,540,821 registered voters. The vote total includes all early and mail-in votes received before Election Day.

These are data for Election Day:


Turnout by Hour

6:00am – 16,135 ballots cast

7:00am – 22,263 ballots cast

8:00am – 26,343 ballots cast

9:00am – 26,565 ballots cast

10:00am – 28,107 ballots cast

11:00am – 28,730 ballots cast

12:00pm – 27,031 ballots cast

1:00pm – 26,604 ballots cast

2:00pm – 26,665 ballots cast

3:00pm – 29,445 ballots cast

4:00pm – 34,486 ballots cast

5:00pm – 36,724 ballots cast

6:00pm – 26,409 ballots cast


Turnout by Age Group

18-24: 30,443 ballots cast

25-34: 112,786 ballots cast

35-44: 106,765 ballots cast

45-54: 102,173 ballots cast

55-64 : 116,900 ballots cast

65-74: 102,874 ballots cast

75+: 65,339 ballots cast

By Adam Harrington
 

AP projects Gov. JB Pritzker defeats Darren Bailey

Just as polls closed in Illinois, the Associated Press projected Gov. JB Pritzker won a second term in office, defeating Republican challenger Darren Bailey.

No official election results are yet available.

READ MORE

Track results here

By Todd Feurer
 

Todd Young Projected Winner In Indiana Senate Race Over Tom McDermott

(CBS) – Sen. Todd Young cruised to an easy victory over Thomas McDermott, in this deeply Republican state, according to CBS News projections.

McDermott, who is the mayor of Hammond, the largest city in deeply blue Lake County, didn't have the statewide firepower to mount a challenge. Young won his second term in the U.S. Senate.

McDermott simply didn't have the fund-raising apparatus to mount a serious challenge. Young raised $7.6 million through September of this year compared with $1.1 million for McDermott, according to Federal Election Commission reports. 

Young, a University of Chicago MBA graduate, first arrived on Capitol Hill as a congressman in 2010 before winning the Senate seat in 2016.

It was McDermott's second campaign for Congress. He lost in the 2020 Democratic primary to Rep. Frank Mrvan, who went on the succeed longtime Rep. Pete Visclosky in the 1st Congressional District. 

The first-term congressman faced a well-funded challenge from Jennifer Ruth Green. 

By John Dodge
 

Polls are closed in Indiana

The polls are closed in Indiana and we are closely watching the race for the 1st Congressional District and one U.S. Senate seat. 

Polls closed in Northwest Indiana

In the Senate, incumbent Republican Todd Young is heavily favored against Hammond Mayor Tom McDermott. 

In the 1st District, which covers Lake County and Porter County, incumbent first-term U.S. Rep. Frank Mrvan is in a hotly contested race against Republican Jennifer-Ruth Green.  

Both parties have been poring TV ad money into the race, which is rare for a district that has been in Democrats' hands for generations. 

By John Dodge
 

Illinois BOE says about 50% turnout can be expected in midterm

The Illinois State Board of Elections says it won't get statewide voter turnout data until everything is in for all counties.

However, spokesman Matt Dietrich said historically in a midterm, around 50 percent turnout can be expected – with the exception of a high turnout four years ago at 57 percent. That 2018 figure was the highest for a midterm since 1982.

Here are historical voter turnout percentages for midterm general elections going back 44 years. Data from are from the state BOE.

 Year

Turnout

2018

57.23

2014

49.18

2010

50.53

2006

48.64

2002

51.86

1998

52.43

1994

52.6

1990

56.71

1986

55.34

1982

65

1978

60.4

As to specific counties, DuPage County reported 46 percent voter turnout – or 284,712 voters – as of 4:30 p.m.

Boone County northwest of the Chicago area saw 33 percent voter turnout in person as of 4:30 p.m. The county clerk said nothing had warranted the use of panic buttons for security concerns, which CBS 2's Marissa Perlman reported on Monday.

As of just after 6 p.m., Boone County reported its turnout had risen to 40 percent. Officials there said there would be no more updates until unofficial results are complete.   

Lake County saw 22 percent voter turnout, or 103,021 voters, as of around 5:30 p.m.

By Samah Assad
 

Suburban Cook County turnout as of 5 p.m.

As of 3 p.m., a total of 647,757 voters had cast their ballots in the suburban Cook County. That includes 323,517 voting in-person on Election day, 220,469 people who voted early, and 103,771 mail ballots that have been returned so far.

Here's the breakdown of Election Day voters by hour for the Cook County suburbs:

6am – 20,242 ballots cast

7am – 24,902 ballots cast

8am – 28,068 ballots cast

9am – 31,299 ballots cast

10am – 34,258 ballots cast

11am – 33,708 ballots cast

12pm – 28,459 ballots cast

1pm – 28,432 ballots cast

2pm – 28,579 ballots cast

3pm – 30,202 ballots cast

4pm – 35,368 ballots cast

By Todd Feurer
 

Electioneering, ballot issues dominate citywide complaints

The main issues reported by Chicago Election Central through the afternoon and early evening that some people were not getting both pages of their ballots.

For one example, at a South Side polling place at 2:20 p.m., a voter who did not receive the second page was extremely upset and wanted to go back and vote – only to be told he cannot go back and vote because the precinct has no way to verify whether he did or did not vote already.

Issues with Sharpies were also reported, along with some claims of electioneering by people representing various politicians and political positions.  

By Carol Thompson
 

Chicago voter turnout as of 5 p.m.

As of 5 p.m., a total of 571,326 voters had cast their ballots in the city of Chicago, including early voting, mail voting, and Election Day voting at precinct polling places. That amounts for 37.1% turnout so far for the 1,540,821 registered voters in Chicago.  

Turnout by Hour

6:00am – 16,137 ballots cast

7:00am – 22,271 ballots cast

8:00am – 26,346 ballots cast

9:00am – 26,567 ballots cast

10:00am – 28,111 ballots cast

11:00am – 28,740 ballots cast

12:00pm – 27,035 ballots cast

1:00pm – 26,607 ballots cast

2:00pm – 26,666 ballots cast

3:00pm – 29,427 ballots cast

4:00pm – 34,347 ballots cast

Turnout by Age Group

18-24: 24,405 ballots cast

25-34: 96,072 ballots cast

35-44: 93,106 ballots cast

45-54: 89,703 ballots cast

55-64 : 106,519 ballots cast

65-74: 98,169 ballots cast

75+: 63,769 ballots cast

By Todd Feurer
 

Abortion, economy, crime, state of democracy among key issues for Chicago area voters

The leadup to the 2022 midterm election has been filled with passion, rancor, and sometimes even vitriol around the country – including the Chicago area.

In Evergreen Park, it came down for several people to one issue and one issue only – abortion.

"I think the biggest thing for me is I'm a father of five girls, and the overturning of Roe v. Wade - that's pivotal for me," said Anthony Williams "To have that kind of conversation in 2022 - to tell a woman what she can and cannot do with her body – I think is ridiculous. And I think the fact that we actually have to vote for that is kind of sad. But here we are."

Other voters in Evergreen Park expressed support for electing or reelecting candidates who oppose abortion rights.

Evergreen Park voter and newly-married father Bernard Wilks said his only priority was fighting crime and ensuring safety.

"I have an 8-year-old son, you know, so that's very important to me," Wilks said. "That's one of the reasons I came this way is because of safety."

The strength of American democracy is also a major issue on both partisan sides.

Evergreen Park voter Lynne Dunne said her main concerns were: "Inflation, the country going to hell, socialism, communism - not for it. Won't work."

She continued: "Take the boot off the neck and the fist down the throat, and let us live our lives the way we want to, and that has to change - or we're moving to Florida! That's it!"

Michael Aumiller said he was motivated by concerns about candidates' own motivations.

"It's particularly important right now that the people that we send in to positions of power aren't denying reality," he said. "t's important we don't send insurrectionists to positions of authority, and it is important that we turn out and continue to vote and we're not going to be intimidated by anybody."

MORE

By Marie Saavedra
 

Suburban Cook County turnout as of 4 p.m.

According to the Cook County Clerk's office, 288,149 ballots have been cast on Election Day, as of 4 p.m. That's in addition to over 220,000 early voting ballots and 100,000 vote by mail ballots returned.

Here's the breakdown of Election Day voters by hour for the Cook County suburbs:

6am – 20,242 ballots cast

7am – 24,902 ballots cast

8am – 28,068 ballots cast

9am – 31,299 ballots cast

10am – 34,258 ballots cast

11am – 33,708 ballots cast

12pm – 28,459 ballots cast

1pm – 28,432 ballots cast

2pm – 28,579 ballots cast

3pm – 30,202  ballots cast

By Todd Feurer
 

Officials take multiple steps to ensure election integrity, prevent misinformation

Despite two chief issues at Chicago polling places – one involving Sharpies that caused some headaches for voters – the other involving voters not receiving the second page of the ballot – election officials statewide say they are doing everything they can to protect your vote.

Before voting began, officials conducted a test to make sure there were no issues and every ballot was counted. The test is just one of the many ways to ensure the integrity of elections.

"You know, there are a lot of skeptics out there," Dietrich said.

This is true especially since the 2020 presidential race — and repeated claims by election deniers that it was stolen.

"And as we've said repeatedly that all the claims of systemic fraud that came up after that election came out of nowhere," Dietrich said. "They were not founded in any kind of evidence."

But there is evidence from those trying to influence your vote.

"Social media is the biggest source of misinformation," Dietrich said.

Also keeping an eye on the vote at the ballot box are poll watchers. And just in case voter intimidation like we've seen outside polling places in other cities happens here, poll watchers are on top of it.

Authorities also remind voters there's a process in place to protect one person, one vote.

MORE

By Dorothy Tucker
 

Apparent cyber attack targets Champaign County Clerk's Office

The Champaign County Clerk's Office said it was aware of connectivity and computer server problems on Tuesday it believes were due to cyber attacks on its network.

Clerk Aaron Ammons said in a statement his office has been the target of repeated cyber attacks for the past month, but due to reinforced security and response from his IT team, the attacks were not successful and the clerk's site has "remained secure."

Ammons said no data or information has been compromised and the election system in Champaign County is secure.

"These cyber-attacks are a strategic and coordinated effort to undermine and destabilize our democratic process," Ammons said in a statement. "The intent is to discourage you from voting. Please do not fall victim to this."

Champaign County is located in the east central part of the state and is the home of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The county has voted majority Democratic in recent cycles, including going for then-candidate JB Pritzker in the 2018 midterm election.

By Alex Ortiz
 

Some Chicago voters don't receive second page of ballot

A mistake by election judges in Chicago Tuesday could leave some voters partially out of luck. This year's ballot has two double-sided pages – marked as Ballot A and Ballot B. For some reason at 24 precincts, election judges only handed out Ballot A.

That means some voters never got Ballot B – which has all the judges up for retention.

According to election officials, some voters recognized the mistake immediately and complained. They were able to get the second ballot and vote for everyone. But those who didn't catch the mistake left the polling place and only half-voted.

if you think you only received one ballot, authorities are telling those voters not to return to the polling places. Instead, they want you to call the Chicago Board of Elections and complain.

Election authorities say they don't really know how many voters were affected. But if you think you were, you are asked to call the Chicago Board of Elections. Their main number is (312) 269-7900.

By Dorothy Tucker
 

Voter turnout in Chicago as of 3 p.m.

As of 3 p.m., a total of 502,459 voters had cast their ballots in the city of Chicago, including early voting, mail voting, and Election Day voting at precinct polling places. That amounts for 32% turnout so far for the 1,540,821 registered voters in Chicago.

Turnout by Hour

6:00am – 16,105 ballots cast

7:00am – 22,228 ballots cast

8:00am – 26,264 ballots cast

9:00am – 26,487 ballots cast

10:00am – 27,992 ballots cast

11:00am – 28,478 ballots cast

12:00pm – 27,023 ballots cast

1:00pm – 26,555 ballots cast

2:00pm – 26,501 ballots cast

Turnout by Age Group

18-24: 19,379 ballots cast

25-34: 81,380 ballots cast

35-44: 79,541 ballots cast

45-54: 76,474 ballots cast

55-64 : 93,983 ballots cast

65-74: 90,501 ballots cast

75+: 60,005 ballots cast

By Todd Feurer
 

How to watch 2022 election night results and live coverage


  • What: CBS News election night coverage 

  • Date: Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2022

  • Time: 5 p.m. ET: Special edition of "Red & Blue" on CBS News streaming 
               8 p.m. ET: "America Decides: Campaign '22" on TV and streaming

  • TV: CBS News stations (find your local station here)

  • Online stream: Live on CBS News in the player above and on your mobile or streaming device

  • Follow: Live updates on CBSNews.com for the latest news and real-time results

By John Dodge
 

Voter turnout in Chicago, suburban Cook County as of noon

As of noon, the Chicago Board of Elections reported a total of 417,286 ballots had been cast between early voting, mail voting, and Election Day voting. There are 1,540,821 registered voters in Chicago.

The board broke down Election Day turnout at polling places as follows:

Turnout by Hour

6 a.m.– 16,105 ballots cast

7 a.m.– 22,228 ballots cast

8 a.m.– 26,264 ballots cast

9 a.m.– 26,487 ballots cast

10 a.m.– 27,992 ballots cast

11 a.m.– 28,478 ballots cast

Turnout by Age Group

18-24: 14,339 ballots cast

25-34: 65,439 ballots cast

35-44: 64,705 ballots cast

45-54: 62,782 ballots cast

55-64 : 79,372 ballots cast

65-74: 77,822 ballots cast

75+: 51,948 ballots cast

Also as of noon, the Cook County Clerk's office reported 200,264 ballots had been cast on Election Day in suburban Cook County. This is in addition to over 220,000 early voting ballots and 100,000 vote by mail ballots returned.

Turnout by Hour

6 a.m. – 20,240 ballots cast

7 a.m.– 24,891 ballots cast

8 a.m.– 28,020 ballots cast

9 a.m.– 31,224 ballots cast

10 a.m.– 34,160 ballots cast

11 a.m.– 33,549 ballots cast

Noon – 28,180 ballots cast

By Adam Harrington
 

Secretary of State candidates have been talking up plans for improving driver services

The race for Illinois Secretary of State is a battle for an open seat for the first time since 1998 - with Jesse White retiring after serving six terms.

Republican Dan Brady and Democrat Alexi Giannoulias are vying to succeed White.

The Illinois Secretary of State's function in the state constitution revolves around the officeholder's duty to maintain official state records and the state seal. But the average Illinois resident is most likely to interact with the Secretary of State's office for driver's licensing, vehicle registration, and other driver services.

READ MORE

By CBS Chicago Team
 

Delia Ramirez, Justin Burau face off in open 3rd Congressional District race

Democratic Illinois State Rep. Delia Ramirez is facing off against Republican Justin Burau for the open seat representing the 3rd Congressional District.

State lawmakers redrew the 3rd District to create the state's second district likely to elect a Latino to Congress, to capitalize on the group's growing population in Chicago. While not quite a Latino majority district, approximately 44% of the 3rd District's voting age population is Latino. The new district stretches from the Northwest Side of Chicago to the far western suburbs like Wheaton and West Chicago.

In the June primary, Ramirez defeated Chicago Ald. Gilbert Villegas (36th) and two other candidates for the Democratic nomination.

Burau was unopposed in the GOP primary.

READ MORE

By CBS Chicago Team
 

Democrat Jonathan Jackson, Republican Eric Carlson vie to succeed Rep. Bobby Rush in 1st Congressional District

Democrat Jonathan Jackson – a son of the Rev. Jesse Jackson – is up against Republican Eric Carlson to succeed U.S. Rep. Bobby Rush in Illinois' 1st Congressional District.

The redrawn district includes parts of Bronzeville, Hyde Park, Grand Crossing, Morgan Park, and Roseland – among other Chicago neighborhoods – and extends southwest to include larges section of the southwest Cook County and Will County suburbs.

Jackson is a business owner and spokesman for his father's Rainbow PUSH Coalition. He is the third of the Rev. Jackson's five children, and notes that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was his godfather.

Carlson is a native of the Roseland community and notes that he has lived in the city and southwest suburbs for more than 50 years. He worked 20 years in the construction trades and is a veteran of the U.S. Army's 75th Ranger Regiment, according to his campaign website.

READ MORE  

By CBS Chicago Team
 

Rep. Sean Casten aims to fend off Keith Pekau in possibly tight suburban race

A south suburban mayor is challenging an incumbent Democratic member of Congress in the 6th District.

U.S. Rep. Sean Casten, the Democratic candidate, is seeking reelection to a third term in the House of Representatives against Orland Park Mayor Keith Pekau, the Republican candidate. Casten defeated fellow incumbent U.S. Rep. Marie Newman in the June primary, just weeks after the death of his 17-year-old daughter Gwen.

Casten first was elected to Congress in 2018, a year that saw a blue wave with Democrats capturing the House of Representatives off the heels of backlash against then-President Donald Trump.

He'll be fending off Pekau during a year that's expected to favor Republicans who many experts and political observers project to take back control of the House.

READ MORE

By CBS Chicago Team
 

Catalina Lauf tries to flip suburban district held by veteran Rep. Bill Foster

The new 11th Congressional district spans several counties from the northwest to southwest suburbs.

It stretches from Crystal Lake down as far south as parts of Naperville, Bolingbrook and Lemont.

Incumbent U.S. Rep. Bill Foster, the Democrat, is facing off against Republican challenger Catalina Lauf.

Foster is a trained physicist who's spent 12 of the last 14 years as a member of the House of Representatives.

Lauf served as a special advisor in the U.S. Department of Commerce during the Trump Administration. She ran unsuccessfully in the GOP primary for the 14th Congressional District in 2020.

READ MORE

By CBS Chicago Team
 

Rep. Lauren Underwood facing GOP challenger Scott Gryder in bid for 3rd term in Congress

A longtime Republican member of the Kendall County Board is challenging two-term Democratic incumbent in the newly drawn 14th Congressional District in Illinois. 

U.S. Rep. Lauren Underwood, the Democratic incumbent, was first elected to Congress in 2018, defeating four-term Republican U.S. Rep. Randy Hultgren, in a district which at the time was 86% white and widely seen as a Republican stronghold. She became the first woman and first minority to represent the district, and was the youngest Black woman to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives, at age 32 at the time.

She narrowly won re-election in 2020 against dairy magnate and Illinois State Sen. Jim Oberweis, by a 50.7% to 49.3% margin.

Gryder currently serves as chairman of the Kendall County Board. He's been elected to the board three times since 2012, and is a licensed attorney.

READ MORE

By Todd Feurer
 

Election Day voting underway in Chicago; polls close at 7 p.m.

Polls are open soon in Cook County and thousands of people in the Chicago are have already voted. 

As of early Monday morning, more than 269,000 people have already voted early by mail or in-person in Chicago. 

For many other Chicago voters who still need to vote Tuesday, you can go to any of the 51 polling places most convenient for you. 

Polls opened at 6 a.m. You can find Chicago voting sites here. 

Suburban voters were notified of their polling place address in a mailing prior to the election. You can find a full list of Suburban Cook County polling places here. 

CONTINUE READING

By John Dodge
 

Key races in Indiana: Mrvan vs. Green

We are watching two races that affect voters in Northwest Indiana. 

One U.S. Senate seat is up this year -- incumbent Republican Todd Young is heavily favored against Hammond Mayor Tom McDermott. 

In the 1st District, which covers Lake County and Porter County, incumbent first-term U.S. Rep. Frank Mrvan is in a hotly contested race against Republican Jennifer-Ruth Green.  Both parties have been poring TV ad money into the race, which is rare for a district that has been in Democrats' hands for generations. 

By John Dodge
 

Illinois Attorney General's race a rematch of sorts

Running for a second term in office in Tuesday's general election, Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul is facing off against a familiar opponent; though one he's gone up against before only in the courtroom, not at the ballot box.

Republican challenger Thomas Devore gained notoriety during the pandemic for his multiple legal challenges to Gov. JB Pritzker's coronavirus mandates.

DeVore, an attorney from downstate Sorento, about 60 miles south of Springfield, has filed multiple lawsuits since 2020, challenging Gov. JB Pritzker's authority to issue statewide stay-at-home orders, mask mandates, and other executive orders aimed at limiting the spread of COVID-19.

While largely unsuccessful, the legal battles with Raoul – who defended the governor's coronavirus orders in court – brought DeVore a level of celebrity that helped him win the Republican primary in June over two other candidates, including Steve Kim, who got $300,000 in campaign funds from billionaire Ken Griffin through then-GOP candidate for governor Richard Irvin.

READ MORE

By Todd Feurer
 

GOP has chance to swing Illinois Supreme Court balance of power in its favor

Voters in the Chicago suburbs and parts of central Illinois will be voting in two races for the Illinois Supreme Court on Tuesday, an election that could swing the balance of power on the state's highest court to the Republican party for the first time in more than 50 years.

Illinois is only one of eight states where voters decide who will serve on the state's highest court – and multiple vacancies are rare. With these two seats up, the election's outcome could determine the state's position on key issues for decades to come.

One is in the Supreme Court's Second District – composed primarily of northern and western collar counties. It includes Lake, McHenry, Kane, Kendall, and DeKalb counties. A vacancy there has former Republican Lake County Sheriff Mark Curran running against Lake County Judge Elizabeth Rochford, a Democrat.

The Third District is composed of some southern and western collar and Central Illinois counties. It includes DuPage, Will, Kankakee, Iroquois, Grundy, LaSalle, and Bureau counties. Appointed incumbent Justice Michael Burke, a Republican, is being challenged by Democratic Illinois Appellate Justice Mary Kay O'Brien. 

The Illinois Supreme Court currently has four justices who were elected as Democrats, and three who were elected as Republicans. If Burke and Curran both win their races, Republicans will hold a majority in the state's highest court for the first time since 1969. Democrats need to win only one of the open seats to keep their control of the court.

READ MORE

By Todd Feurer
 

Will Gov. JB Pritzker win a second term?

One of the biggest races to keep an eye on Tuesday is Gov. JB Pritzker's bid for a second term in office. The Democratic incumbent is facing off against Republican Illinois State Sen. Darren Bailey, of downstate Xenia.

The race offers voters a choice between two men with starkly different backgrounds and views.

Pritzker is a billionaire from Chicago, heir to the Hyatt Hotels fortune, and founder of the tech start-up incubator 1871, who has been endorsed by former President Barack Obama, is a staunch supporter of abortion rights, and advocate for strict gun control.

Bailey is a millionaire farmer from the small town of Xenia in southern Illinois, who is backed by former President Donald Trump, opposes abortion except when the mother's life is at risk, and wants to repeal the state's Firearm Owner's Identification Act.

Pritzker has funneled at least $110 million to his own re-election campaign, allowing him to dominate the airwaves and internet with ads.

While Bailey has received $12 million in direct support from conservative billionaire businessman Richard Uihlein, who also has given more than $42 million to the pro-Bailey "People Who Play By the Rules" political action committee, the Republican challenger didn't air his first broadcast TV ads of the general election until early October.

READ MORE

By Todd Feurer
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