As Illinois undergoes change on all levels with the 2022 election, its congressional delegation will stay heavily Democratic.
In the 17th district, incumbent Rep. Cheri Bustos (D) decided not to run for re-election. This made for a prime matchup in the district between Eric Sorensen (D) and Esther Joy King (R). This race was a tossup going into Tuesday, and the results were not known for days as the control of Congress was unknown.. The final results would see Sorensen take control of the district, the Associated Press projected Thursday at 12:26 p.m. CST.
General election candidates for the sixth district seat were incumbent Rep. Sean Casten (D), Keith Pekau (R) and Arthur Jones (I). Prior to the results, experts believed that it would be “likely democratic.” Casten faced the most opposition against Pekau, but he was able to overcome the challenge and remains representative of the sixth district, the AP projected Tuesday night.
The 11th district featured the race of incumbent Rep. Bill Foster (D), squaring off against Catalina Lauf (R) and Donald Wagner (I). Foster was largely favored going into this election, as he has held his role since 2013. Ultimately, Foster won reelection, the AP declared early Wednesday morning.
The race for the 13th district would be one of the more competitive elections amongst all districts. While the district has largely been controlled by Republicans since 2013 via former Rep. Rodney Davis, it appears that the times are changing. Nikki Budzinski (D) and Regan Deering (R) fought in a district that Cook Political Report projected as a “lean Democrat” district. This was a district that could move in either direction, but with the final results, Budzinski got the bid, the AP projected early Wednesday morning.
Finally, the 14th district saw incumbent Rep. Lauren Underwood (D) battling Scott Gryder (R). Underwood was favored going into this matchup due to her history and dominant fundraising totals compared to Gryder. This pairing would prove to be too much for Gryder to overcome, as Underwood would be reelected, according to an AP call early Wednesday morning.