Illinois Primaries The Most Competitive Since 1998

By Andrew Hensel, The Center Square:

The November 2022 elections in Illinois are projected to feature the highest number of contested state House races over the past 24 years, according to research by the Illinois Policy Institute.

Over the last 22 years, on average, only 64 of Illinois’ 118 state House districts have been contested by a candidate from each major party. This year, that number is 82 with the June primaries approaching.

The report projects that 4.3 million Illinoisans will cast votes during this year's elections. Researcher Bryce Hill explained that in years past, Illinois has seen lower voter turnout due to lack of representation.

"The lack of choice is affecting voter turnout and the number of votes cast," Hill said. "What we found was that we have actually been missing 1.7 million votes over the past ten years."

Hill said that same lack of representation and lack of results from already elected officials is leading to more citizens running for office.

"The negative effect of lack of representation and voice within the government, I think, has been an incentive for more people to get involved and to run," said Hill.

Redistricting in Illinois, where the state lost a congressional seat because of continued population decline, has led to some contested primary election battles. For Illinois seats in the U.S. Congress, Democrats Marie Newman and Sean Casten are both running for the new 6th congressional district in the southwest Chicago suburbs. They're joined in that primary by Charles Hughes. Republicans Mary Miller and Rodney Davis are battling for Illinois's new 15th congressional district.

While the new Congressional maps and statehouse districts Democrats approved after the 10-year Census may have impacted this year's elections, Hill said in years past, partisan drawn maps have hurt the system.

"Changes in the map could have led to changes in the candidates that turn out in this election cycle, but generally speaking the map-making process in Illinois is broken, and has served as a deterrent for people wanting to run," Hill said.

Illinois' Democrat and Republican primary elections are scheduled for June 28 with early voting starting May 19.

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