State Rep. Chris Miller reflects on January 6, analyzes midterm elections in IPM interview
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State Rep. Chris Miller reflects on January 6, analyzes midterm elections in IPM interview

URBANA — State Representative Chris Miller of Illinois’ 110th district won re-election in last week’s midterms. He ran unopposed and will soon serve his third term in office. Miller, the Coles County Republican, attended the “Save America” rally in Washington D.C. on January 6, 2021, which preceded the attack on the U.S. Capitol Building. A…

Illinois Election 2022: Live blog, updates, results and more
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Illinois Election 2022: Live blog, updates, results and more

This is a live blog of stories, social media posts, and embedded information chronicling Election Day 2022 from Illinois Public Media journalists. Tonight, you can count on us to keep you up-to-date with: National @NPR coverage on WILL-AM 580 + FM 90.9 Our VOTE 2022: Election Night Special at 8 pm on WILL-TV with @NewsHour…

Democrat and first-time candidate Nikki Budzinski prevails in IL-13 race
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Democrat and first-time candidate Nikki Budzinski prevails in IL-13 race

SPRINGFIELD — “Thank you, and then let’s get to work,” Nikki Budzinski said on Election Night to a cheering crowd at the Hoogland Center for the Arts. Budzinski had a lot to celebrate. She successfully flipped Illinois’ 13th congressional district blue after it being a Republican stronghold for years. Most recently, five-term Republican Rep. Rodney Davis…

Eric Sorensen declares victory in 17th Congressional District

Eric Sorensen declares victory in 17th Congressional District

MOLINE — Democrat Eric Sorensen has declared victory in the 17th Congressional District. His opponent, Republican Esther Joy King, called to concede Wednesday morning. “This morning, my opponent Esther Joy King called to concede. I thank her for running, and while we disagreed on the issues, we both have a passion for service,” Sorensen said…

Democrat Alexi Giannoulias wins race for Illinois secretary of state
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Democrat Alexi Giannoulias wins race for Illinois secretary of state

Former Illinois Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias ran a well-funded campaign against veteran Illinois legislator Dan Brady, a Republican, to succeed the retiring Jesse White. CHICAGO –Alexi Giannoulias’ last run for office — in 2010, for President Barack Obama’s former U.S. Senate seat — ended in stinging defeat that halted his political career. Until Tuesday, at least,…

Democrats hold on to majority on Illinois Supreme Court as Judge Elizabeth Rochford declares victory
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Democrats hold on to majority on Illinois Supreme Court as Judge Elizabeth Rochford declares victory

Rochford thanked her supporters about 10:30 p.m. after her Republican opponent, Mark Curran, called to concede in the newly drawn suburban 2nd District. WAUKEGAN — Democrats held on to their majority on the Illinois Supreme Court Tuesday night as Judge Elizabeth Rochford declared victory in one of two vacant seats up for grabs. Rochford thanked…

Champaign-Urbana voters wait an hour or more to cast their ballots
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Champaign-Urbana voters wait an hour or more to cast their ballots

CHAMPAIGN – Polling places in Champaign County saw varied turnout early on Election Day.  Locations including Church of the Living God and the Douglass Center Annex in north Champaign were off to a slow start around 9:30 a.m., with only a few voters at each site.  However, around an hour later, the Good Shepherd Lutheran…

First-time voters cast their ballots at the University of Illinois
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First-time voters cast their ballots at the University of Illinois

URBANA – Hundreds of University of Illinois students and other local residents gathered at polling places across campus Tuesday to vote in this year’s midterm election. The university’s Illini Union was filled with lines of voters, with some students bringing their friends to vote for their first time.  “I feel kind of crazy, like why am…

Illinois Secretary of State candidates tout experience in bids to replace Jesse White
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Illinois Secretary of State candidates tout experience in bids to replace Jesse White

BLOOMINGTON — Illinois will soon have a new Secretary of State for the first time in nearly a quarter century. Longtime legislator Dan Brady of Bloomington says he bided his time until Jesse White retired to run for the office. Brady faces Alexi Giannoulias, a well-financed opponent who is seeking his second statewide office. Listen…

Truth Test: Did Nikki Budzinski ‘cash in’ as a political consultant?
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Truth Test: Did Nikki Budzinski ‘cash in’ as a political consultant?

CHICAGO — A recent report from the Better Government Association, a nonpartisan watchdog group, called congressional candidate Nikki Budzinski into question for ‘cashing in’ as a political consultant. Budzinski is a Democrat running in Illinois’ 13th congressional district against Republican Regan Deering. “We looked at a powerful government official, state government official, who welcomed and…

Democratic candidate Paul Lange supports strong welfare state, gradual approach to climate change in IPM interview
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Democratic candidate Paul Lange supports strong welfare state, gradual approach to climate change in IPM interview

SPRINGFIELD — In Illinois’ newly redrawn 15th congressional district, Congresswoman Mary Miller is up for re-election. Miller topped fellow incumbent Rodney Davis in the Republican primary in June. Miller will face Democratic challenger Paul Lange, a former precinct committeeman and commodities broker from Quincy, Illinois, in the November midterm election. Lange spoke to Illinois Newsroom’s…

During stop in Normal, Speaker Chris Welch talks about changes to the SAFE-T Act and competing in the 91st House District
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During stop in Normal, Speaker Chris Welch talks about changes to the SAFE-T Act and competing in the 91st House District

NORMAL — Bloomington-Normal’s new Illinois House district – the 91st – has become one of the most competitive and costliest in modern history. Democrat Sharon Chung and Republican Scott Preston and the people backing them have already spent more than a million dollars to win Nov. 8 – in a McLean County that some see…

Truth Test: 13th congressional district candidates clash on lowering prescription prices and capping insulin costs
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Truth Test: 13th congressional district candidates clash on lowering prescription prices and capping insulin costs

Both congressional candidates in Illinois’ 13th district — Republican Regan Deering and Democrat Nikki Budzinski — say they support lowering prescription prices and capping the cost of insulin. But they disagree on a new federal law meant to achieve those goals. Deering opposes the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), which President Biden signed in August. Budzinski…

Extreme takeover? Pritzker and Bailey accuse one another of being an extremist who is dangerous to Illinois
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Extreme takeover? Pritzker and Bailey accuse one another of being an extremist who is dangerous to Illinois

It was the second and final debate between the two gubernatorial hopefuls Tuesday night, and both came prepared for combat, ready to dish it out — and not take any of the other’s jabs lying down. CHICAGO — Gov. JB Pritzker blasted his Republican challenger as an “extremist” and a “threat to democracy” who “shouldn’t…

WBEZ/Chicago Sun-Times Poll: More than half of Illinois voters want abortion to stay legal
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WBEZ/Chicago Sun-Times Poll: More than half of Illinois voters want abortion to stay legal

CHICAGO — As states around the country adopt stricter restrictions on abortion with the overturning of Roe v. Wade, more than half of Illinois voters say abortion should remain legal here, according to a new WBEZ/Chicago Sun-Times Poll. About 52% of likely voters polled said abortion should be legal in most or all cases, with…