Biss Projected To Win In Illinois 9th Congressional District Race: AP

EVANSTON, IL — Polls have closed in Illinois, and the Associated Press has declared Daniel Biss the projected winner in Illinois' 9th Congressional District.

Biss and his Republican opponent John Elleson were seeking to succeed Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky, who held the office for more than 25 years. The 9th Congressional District includes parts of Cook, Lake and McHenry counties.

As of 8:10 p.m., Biss was leading by an incredibly large margin with 39,449 votes in Suburban Cook County and 20,759 in the City of Chicago. Elleson had 10,554 votes in Cook County and 3,817 in Chicago as of 8:10 p.m.

Election results in both Lake and McHenry Counties have not been released yet.

Patch will update the results throughout the night as votes are tallied. Here are the unofficial vote totals, as of 8:10 p.m.

2026 Election: Illinois 9th District Voters Choose Between Daniel Biss, John Elleson For Open House Seat

Daniel Biss

Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss is running to represent Illinois’ 9th Congressional District.

Biss, who is favored to win in the 9th district, has served as Evanston’s mayor since 2021 and was recently re-elected in 2025. Biss stepped down as Mayor of Evanston in October. Before becoming mayor, he served in the Illinois State Senate from 2013 to 2019 and in the Illinois House from 2011 to 2013.

In January, Schakowsky announced her endorsement of Biss to succeed her in the district.

John Elleson

Lakewood Church Pastor John Elleson is running for the U.S. House of Representatives in Illinois' 9th Congressional District.

While Elleson has never held public office, he has run in the 9th congressional district before against Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky in 2018.

Elleson has a bachelor's degree in theology and says the "single most pressing issue" facing the district or state is the "financial deficit." He says he has spent decades working with local families and points to that background as a key difference between himself and other candidates.

Find all of Illinois Patch's 2026 election coverage here.