Orland Park 2026 Primary Election Guide: Who's Running, What You Need To Know

ORLAND PARK, IL — Just days remain for early voting in the March 17 primary, as Illinois and the nation head toward the midterm elections in November.

Both Democratic and Republican candidates are making their final pushes in hopes of being chosen to represent their party in November's General Election.

In Orland Park, the Civic Center at 14750 S. Ravinia Ave. serves as an early voting site. Early voting started March 2.

Hours are:

• Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.
• Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Sunday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

If you're not sure if you're registered to vote, you can check online. If you're not registered, even though online voter registration has closed, you can still register in person the same day you vote, whether you vote early or on Election Day.

To register in person, you'll need to bring two forms of ID or proof of residency, including a passport, driver's license, lease or mortgage. At least one form of ID must list your current address.

Early voting locations are open now. Find hours and locations here for:

• Suburban Cook County
• DuPage County
• Kane County
• Kendall County
• Lake County
• McHenry County

If you plan to vote on Election Day and don't know your polling place, you can find it here. The polls are open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.

WHAT'S ON THE BALLOT

There are a number of statewide races being contested in the primary, including governor, U.S. Senate, Secretary of State and Comptroller. Check out our IL 2026 Primary Election Guide for more on those races.

State Senate, 14th District

For the first time in nearly two decades, State Sen. Emil Jones III will see challengers in a primary.

First elected in 2009, Jones represents the 14th Senate District, which stretches from Roseland on Chicago's South Side to include all or parts of Alsip, Blue Island, Calumet Park, Chicago, Crestwood, Dixmoor, Dolton, Harvey, Homer Glen, Merrionette Park, Midlothian, Oak Forest, Orland Hills, Orland Park, Palos Heights, Posen, Riverdale, Robbins and Tinley Park.

Candidates Kenny Williams and Ahmed Karrar seek to unseat Jones. Find out more.

U.S. House of Representatives

Incumbent U.S. Rep. Sean Casten is seeking the Democratic nomination for IL-06 congressional district. He's up against Joey Ruzevich.

Republicans Niki Conforti and Skylar Duensing are also contenders in their party's primary.

IL-06 includes all or sections of the suburban Cook County communities of Alsip, Chicago Ridge, Palos Heights, Worth, Crestwood, Oak Forest, Oak Lawn, Tinley Park, Orland Park, Orland Hills, Palos Hills, Palos Heights, Hickory Hills, Justice, and extends into the Chicago neighborhoods of Clearing, Beverly and Mount Greenwood; and in DuPage, Downers Grove, Oak Brook, Oak Brook Terrace, Lisle, Wheaton, Glen Ellyn, Lombard, Elmhurst Darien, Hinsdale and Willow Springs.

Orland Township Commiteeperson

Orland Park Village Trustee Cynthia Katsenes is not seeking reelection as Republican committeeperson, with two contending to take her spot.

Former committeeperson Elizabeth "Liz" Doody Gorman and Orland Township Trustee Ken Duffy are both vying for the seat.

Additionally, Doody Gorman is running in the Republican primary for the Cook County Board 17th district seat, with incumbent Sean Morrison stepping down. Doody Gorman is unopposed there.

Orland Township Referenda

"Should Illinois opt into a federal program that would provide public K-12, private school, and homeschool students with privately-donated funds for academic needs, such as tutoring and test preparation, educational therapies for students with disabilities, tuition, books, exam fees or for other specified academic needs?”

“Shall the State of Illinois, which has the second highest property taxes in the nation, deliver annual property tax rebates to the more than 3 million residential property taxpayers in Illinois, as provided for in the Illinois Property Tax Relief Fund Act of 2019?”

U.S. Senate

A crowded field of Democrats looks to replace longtime Sen. Dick Durbin, the House Minority Whip, who is not seeking reelection after over 40 years in Washington.

"I truly love the job of being a United States Senator," said 81-year-old Durbin, who is the longest-serving senator ever elected to the body from Illinois. "But in my heart, I know it’s time to pass the torch." And there are plenty of candidates vying to step up and take it.

The Democratic primary ballot includes Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton, who is backed by Gov. J.B. Pritzker, as well as U.S. Reps. Robin Kelly of Lynwood and Raja Krishnamoorthi of Schaumburg.

Other candidates are Awisi Bustos, daughter-in-law of former U.S. Rep. Cheri Bustos, as well as Steve Botsford Jr., Sean Brown, Jonathan Dean, Bryan Maxwell, Kevin Ryan and Christopher Swann, as well as write-in Adam Delgado.

On the Republican side are former Illinois Republican Party chairman Don Tracy, attorney Jeannie Evans and Polish-born entrepreneur Casey Chlebek, as well as R. Cary Capparelli, Pamela Denise Long and Jimmy Lee Tillman II.

Governor

Incumbent Gov. J.B. Pritzker is seeking a third term and is unopposed in the Democratic primary. With Stratton vying for the U.S. Senate seat, this time Pritzker's ticket includes former deputy governor and state Rep. Christian Mitchell as his running mate.

Four candidates are vying for the Republican nomination, including former state Sen. Darren Bailey, who ran unsuccessfully against Pritzker in 2022.

Bailey, with running mate Aaron B. Del Mar, remained in the race after tragedy struck when his son, daughter-in-law and two grandchildren were killed in a Montana helicopter crash in October.

Bailey's Republican primary opponents include Wirepoints president Ted Dabrowski, as well as DuPage County Sheriff James Mendrick and Gold Rush Gaming owner Rick Heidner.

Secretary of State

Incumbent Democrat Alexi Giannoulias is unopposed in his primary.

Two candidates are facing off in the Republican primary: Republican committeeman Walter Adamczyk and Diane Harris, a Joliet small business owner and former teacher.

Comptroller

Four Democrats are vying to replace Illinois Comptroller Susana Mendoza, who announced in July that she would not seek a fourth term.

They include Illinois State Sen. Karina Villa, State Rep. Stephanie Kifowit, Mendoza-backed Lake County Treasurer Holly Kim and Pritzker-backed State Rep. Margaret Croke.

Southern Illinois attorney Bryan Drew is running unopposed in the Republican primary.

Other statewide primary races are a foregone conclusion. In the Illinois Attorney General's race, Democratic incumbent Kwame Raoul and Republican Robert W. Fioretti are unopposed in their primaries. In the treasurer's race, Democrat Michael Frerichs is unopposed in his primary, and there are no Republican primary candidates on the ballot.

Other Races To Watch

But there are still some hot races to watch.

In Illinois' 8th Congressional District, with incumbent Krishnamoorthi running for U.S. Senate, eight Democrats are vying to take his place.

Junaid Ahmed, Yasmeen Bankole, Melissa Bean, Sanjyot Dunung, Neil Khot, Kevin Morrison, Dan Tully and Ryan Vetticad are seeking the Democratic nomination.

Whoever wins will face off against the winner of the Republican primary in November. Republican candidates include Kevin Ake, Jennifer Davis, Herbert Hebein and Mark Rice.

In the 9th Congressional District, which includes parts of the north side of Chicago as well as the suburbs of Evanston, Skokie, Glenview and Buffalo Grove, longtime Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky is also not seeking reelection.

Fifteen Democrats are hoping to take her place, including Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss, former journalist and political content creator Katherine “Kat” Abughazaleh and state Sen. Laura Fine.

Also on the ballot are Bushara Amiwala, Phil Andrew, Patricia Brown, Jeff Cohen, Justin Ford, Mark Fredrickson, Illinois state Rep. Hoan Huynh, Bethany Johnson, Sam Polan, Nick Pyati, Howard Rosenblum and state Sen. Mike Simmons.

On the Republican primary ballot are Rocio Cleveland, John Elleson, Paul Friedman and Mark Su.

The winners of each primary will go on to run in the Nov. 3 general election.

The November midterm elections are being watched closely nationwide as Democrats look to take control of the House — and possibly, but less likely, the Senate.