The Surprises (And Snoozes) of Illinois' Primary Election

Chicago had the lowest turnout for a presidential primary in decades: About 20% of registered voters had participated when polls closed at 7 p.m. Tuesday.

Unsurprisingly, President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump won their party nominations in Illinois. But the projected results of some local elections and ballot measures weren’t all predictable. Here are the surprises 🤯 and snoozes 😴 of the night.

Bring Chicago Home

🤯 After a long journey to getting on the ballot, voters are poised to reject the referendum that would increase the transfer tax on property sales over $1 million to help fight homelessness. City Cast Chicago will keep you updated on the final outcome.

Cook County State’s Attorney

🤯 Former state appellate justice Eileen O’Neill Burke is set to defeat University of Chicago lecturer and former prosecutor Clayton Harris III in a race that is too tight to call. Funded by a lot of white men with business interests, the tough-on-crime Democrat would face Republican candidate Bob Fioretti in the fall to replace outgoing State’s Attorney Kim Foxx. We will let you know when the final tally is in.

U.S. Congressional Races

Between a congressional rematch in the city and a battle of conservatives downstate, the local races for U.S. House were interesting.

• 😴 No surprises in Illinois’ 4th District: Rep. Jesús “Chuy” García will represent the Southwest Side and west suburbs for a fourth term, defeating 15th Ward Ald. Ray Lopez.
• 😴 Rep. Danny Davis is set to represent Illinois’ 7th District for a 15th term. It was the third time organizer Kina Collins challenged the Democrat for the seat that spans the West Side as well as parts of the South Side and downtown. Davis will face Republican Chad Koppie in November.

• 😴 In a tight race that the Associated Press has not yet called, former state Sen. Darren Bailey conceded to Trump endorsee and incumbent Rep. Mike Bost in the Republican primary in Illinois’ downstate 12th District.

Other Local Races

These Cook County races had more drama than you might expect.

• 😴 In the surprisingly spicy Cook County Board of Review race, incumbent Larry Rogers Jr. is poised to hold onto his seat. His challenger, Larecia Tucker, was backed by Cook County Assessor Fritz Kaegi. The Board of Review hears property tax appeals after values are set by the assessor’s office, and Kaegi and Rogers have repeatedly butted heads.
• 🤯 Mariyana Spyropoulos is set to be the new Cook County Circuit Court Clerk, unseating incumbent Iris Y. Martinez. Martinez’s one term in the administrative role was marred by criticism over court record access and accuracy. Spyropoulos will face Republican Lupe Aguirre and Libertarian Michael Murphy in November.