ILLINOIS — Democratic incumbent Kwame Raoul is seeking a third term as Illinois attorney general in Tuesday's general election as he faces Republican challenger Bob Fioretti, a former Chicago alderman and longtime civil rights attorney.
Raoul is campaigning on his record of consumer protection, public safety and legal challenges to federal policies, while Fioretti is calling for the elimination or reform of the Illinois' SAFE-T Act and stronger efforts to combat public corruption.
Both candidates were invited to complete a questionnaire outlining their backgrounds, qualifications and priorities for the office. Fioretti submitted his responses, but Patch has not yet received a response from Raoul.
Here's a closer look at the candidates and the issues shaping the race.
Raoul's political career began in 2004, when he was appointed to the Illinois Senate to fill the seat vacated by Barack Obama following Obama's election to the U.S. Senate, according to the National Association of Attorneys General. During his 14 years in the Senate, Raoul helped advance legislation involving the abolition of the death penalty, background checks for private firearm transfers and criminal justice reform, according to the Illinois Secretary of State's Blue Book.
He also supported changes to juvenile criminal records, police body camera standards and law enforcement training, according to the National Association of Attorneys General. Raoul was first elected Illinois attorney general in November 2018, succeeding Lisa Madigan, who had held the office since 2003.
He won a second term in 2022 and was sworn in again in January 2023.
During his tenure, Raoul has emphasized consumer protection, public safety, civil rights and cooperation with state and federal law enforcement agencies, according to his campaign website. His office includes a Worker Protection Unit, which focuses on enforcing state labor laws, including those involving wage payments, workplace safety and fair employment practices, according to the Illinois Attorney General Act.
Raoul has also highlighted a $25 million settlement reached in December 2024 by his office and the Federal Trade Commission with Grubhub over allegations of deceptive business practices affecting customers, restaurants and delivery drivers, according to the FTC.
Raoul's office has additionally worked with law enforcement on organized retail theft investigations, gun trafficking cases and efforts to combat online child exploitation, according to the Illinois Attorney General's Office.
One of the most prominent aspects of his second term has been his participation in multi-state lawsuits challenging policies of Trump's administration.
Raoul's office has been involved in roughly 90 legal battles with the Trump administration over the past two years, according to a Capitol News Illinois report. His office estimates those lawsuits have helped Illinois maintain access to more than $8 billion in federal funding that otherwise could have been withheld.
Raoul told Capitol News Illinois that retaining attorneys and securing additional resources would be priorities if reelected, particularly after lawmakers reduced his office's budget by $10 million this year.
Raoul and other attorneys general have successfully challenged the withholding of approximately $2 billion in federal disaster relief and transportation funding, according to a Chicago Sun-Times and WBEZ report. Other lawsuits involving his office have addressed reductions to medical research funding and federal support for health care institutions, according to the same report.
Fioretti, however, has argued the attorney general should devote greater attention to violent crime and corruption in Illinois, according to the report.
Fioretti, a Chicago resident, served two terms as the city's 2nd Ward alderman from 2007 to 2015 and describes himself as a civil rights attorney with 40 years of legal experience, according to his responses to Patch's candidate questionnaire. He graduated from Mendel Catholic High School, earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and received his law degree from Northern Illinois University.
Fioretti's legal career has also included work in Chicago's Corporation Counsel's Office and service as an assistant Illinois attorney general, according to the Chicago Sun-Times/WBEZ election preview. Since leaving the Chicago City Council, he has made unsuccessful bids for Chicago mayor, Cook County state's attorney and Cook County Board president.
In his Patch questionnaire, Fioretti highlighted his independence as an alderman, saying he opposed six of eight city budgets because he believed they failed to provide sufficient funding for law enforcement. He also said he refused campaign contributions from developers with zoning matters pending in his ward.
Fioretti described representing a ward, which was more than 70 percent Black when he was first elected, saying he treated constituents equally regardless of race, ZIP code, political views or sexual orientation.
"I treated everyone with equality and dignity, the same as I would as Attorney General," Fioretti wrote.
Crime is among Fioretti's central campaign issues, according to his responses to Patch.
Asked to identify the single most pressing issue facing Illinois within the attorney general's authority, Fioretti called for eliminating or reforming the state's SAFE-T Act.
"The law is a disaster and treats violent criminals with kid gloves at the expense of their victims," Fioretti wrote.
The SAFE-T Act included the elimination of cash bail in Illinois beginning Sept. 18, 2023. Under the state's pretrial detention system, judges can order defendants held before trial in qualifying cases when prosecutors demonstrate that statutory detention requirements have been met.
The law does not automatically require the release of everyone charged with a violent crime, and judges may impose conditions on defendants who are released, according to the organization.
Fioretti has also called for greater cooperation with federal immigration authorities to remove immigrants who are in the country illegally and have committed violent crimes, according to his responses to Patch's candidate questionnaire.
He also said he would make greater use of statewide grand juries to pursue public corruption cases.
Government accountability is another major focus of Fioretti's campaign.
In his questionnaire, Fioretti argued federal prosecutors generally handle the largest public corruption cases but said misconduct at the local level often goes unaddressed.
"There is still a lot of public corruption that flies under the radar," he wrote.
Fioretti also criticized enforcement of the Illinois Freedom of Information Act and Open Meetings Act, alleging local officials frequently violate transparency requirements without meaningful consequences. He described FOIA as a "paper tiger" and said the attorney general's office should take a more aggressive approach to holding government officials accountable.
The attorney general's public access counselor reviews complaints involving alleged violations of FOIA and the Open Meetings Act, according to the Illinois Attorney General's Office. The office may mediate disputes, issue binding opinions and provide guidance and training on transparency laws, according to the same source.
Fioretti has also emphasized the importance of maintaining an attorney general's office that operates independently of the governor.
In his Patch questionnaire, Fioretti argued that the attorney general is an independently elected constitutional officer who should exercise the full range of the office's legal powers.
"I will be the people's lawyer, not the Governor's," Fioretti wrote.
Fioretti argued that the attorney general is an independently elected constitutional officer who should exercise the full range of the office's legal powers.
Voters will decide the race Tuesday, and polls in Illinois open at 6 a.m. and close at 7 p.m. For full coverage of the 2026 election in Illinois, go here.
For more information about the candidates, visit Raoul's campaign website, Fioretti's Patch.com candidate profile and Fioretti's campaign website.
Editor's note: Patch invited both candidates to participate in its 2026 Election Guide questionnaire. Fioretti submitted responses, while Raoul had not responded as of publication. Candidate responses reflect the candidates' own views and claims and have not all been independently verified.
Sign up for free local newsletters and alerts for the
Across Illinois Patch
Patch.com is the nationwide leader in hyperlocal news.
Visit Patch.com to find your town today.