Polls closed at 8 PM ET (7 PM local time) for primary night in Illinois. We have plenty of exciting races to watch, and our guide to the key contests can be found here.
The main event will be the race for governor, where Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner is trying to fend off a far-right challenge from state Rep. Jeanne Ives, and where three major Democrats (J.B. Pritzker, Chris Kennedy, and Daniel Biss) are competing to face him. There are also a number of competitive House primaries including in the 3rd District, where Blue Dog Democratic Rep. Dan Lipinski is facing his first serious challenge in a decade from businesswoman Marie Newman.
It only takes a simple plurality to win nomination in Illinois. We’ll also be covering the returns closely on Twitter.
Results: AP (summary, by county) | New York Times | Chicago Sun-Times
Wednesday, Mar 21, 2018 · 12:55:52 AM +00:00 · David Nir
IL-Gov: We’re now at 20% of precincts reporting statewide, a point at which we’re comfortable discussing the results. For Dems, Pritzker is far out in front with 44%, while Biss is at 27 and Kennedy at 25. For the GOP, it’s a lot tighter, with Rauner ahead of Ives 53-47.
Wednesday, Mar 21, 2018 · 12:58:25 AM +00:00 · David Nir
IL-04 (D): With 52% of precincts counted, Chuy Garcia, who’d been the dominant frontrunner, is predictably crushing it. He’s beating Sol Flores 68-20. In this safely blue district, winning the Democratic nomination is tantamount to victory.
Wednesday, Mar 21, 2018 · 1:19:50 AM +00:00
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David Nir
IL-Gov: With 35% reporting statewide, neither race has budged much. It’s very hard to see Pritzker losing: He leads in pretty much every part of the state, and he’s up 44-27 on Biss. Rauner, however, is up just 52-48 on Ives now, a bit closer than his previous 53-47 lead.