Biden, Trump Win IL Primaries After Already Clinching Nominations

ILLINOIS — A week after President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump unofficially clinched their parties' nominations in what the Associated Press called "a general election rematch that many voters do not want," it was Illinois voters' turn at the polls. And by about 7:15 p.m., with just a fraction of votes tallied, Biden and Trump had already claimed victory in the Land of Lincoln.

Biden didn't face serious opposition in the primary, but several candidates challenged him on Democratic ballots in Illinois — Michigan author Marianne Williamson, who halted her campaign in February; Minnesota Rep. Dean Phillips, who ended his "long-shot bid" for the nomination in March; and New York entrepreneur Frank "Frankie" Lozada.

Illinois Primary 2024: What's On The Ballot, What You Should Know

Only Lozada continued campaigning in the lead up to the Illinois primary, tweeting Monday afternoon, "Illinois, let's show up!!! Let's show the DNC state that we have options and we have demands" and including hashtags calling for a ceasefire in the conflict between Israel and Hamas. He has dubbed himself "the only ceasefire candidate." Hours before the polls closed Tuesday, he posted, "Illinois and Arizona!! Today's the day we **** up Biden's day!!!"

Meanwhile, all of Trump's Republican challengers — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and Texas pastor Ryan Binkley — have also suspended their campaigns.

Trump survived a challenge to knock him off the Illinois ballot when the Supreme Court ruled that that individual states do not have the authority to ban candidates from running for federal office based on the Constitution's so-called "insurrection clause."

The ruling reversed the Colorado Supreme Court's December decision disqualifying the former president from seeking another term in office due to his involvement in the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol. It also put a stop to efforts to block Trump's access to the ballot in Maine, where the secretary of state declared him ineligible, and in Illinois, where a Cook County circuit judge late last month overruled the state election board and declared Trump to be constitutionally prohibited from returning to the White House.

Despite the certainty of another Biden/Trump matchup in the Nov. 5 general election, here's how things went at the polls Tuesday night:

(8 percent of votes counted as of 7:15 p.m.)

Democratic primary

• Joseph R. Biden Jr.: 680,115
• Dean Phillips: 24,307
• Marianne Williamson: 26,613
• Frankie Lozada: 13,551

Republican primary

• Donald J. Trump: 469,586
• Nikki Haley: 83,525
• Ron DeSantis: 16,552
• Chris Christie: 9,358
• Ryan Binkley: 2,958

Voters will once again decide between Trump and Biden in November. While considered one of the "big three" Democratic strongholds along with New York and California, Illinois voted for Republicans in eight out of 10 presidential elections between 1952 and 1988. However, Illinois has voted Democratic in the last eight presidential elections.