Gov. JB Pritzker defeated Republican Darren Bailey for the second time Tuesday, Nov. 3, winning a third term and becoming the first Democrat elected to three consecutive terms as Illinois governor.

The Associated Press called the race at 7 p.m. Central time, minutes after polls closed, KWQC reported in carrying the AP alert. The call is a projection, not a certified result. Vote tallies will not become official until county clerks certify them, a process Shaw Local reported takes about two weeks after the election.

No final statewide vote totals were available at the time of the AP call. Pritzker won 55% of the vote in both 2018 and 2022, according to WAND.

On the Elmhurst ballot

The governor's race topped a ballot that carried several contests close to home for Elmhurst residents. In the 45th Illinois House District, which includes Elmhurst, Democratic state Rep. Marti Deuter faced Republican Gina Parrilli, according to the Elmhurst Independent's ballot guide. Deuter, an Elmhurst resident, has served as the 45th District representative since 2024 and previously spent nearly 12 years on the Elmhurst City Council, according to a Shaw Local election questionnaire. Results in that race were not yet available.

Elmhurst-area voters also weighed in on a DuPage High School District 88 proposition asking permission to issue $118 million in school building bonds for Addison Trail and Willowbrook high schools. The district said the bonds would fund safety and security upgrades, ADA accessibility improvements and updates to infrastructure and career and technical education spaces, with no net tax rate increase. Results on that measure were not yet available.

Statewide picture

Bailey, a farmer from Xenia in southern Illinois and former state legislator, lost to Pritzker by nearly 13 percentage points in 2022, WBEZ reported. Pritzker's campaign spent nearly $24 million from July through September, compared with less than $1 million spent by Bailey, according to CBS News Chicago.

Pritzker, 61, is the first three-term Illinois governor since Republican Jim Thompson won the third of his four terms in 1982, according to WBEZ. Illinois has no term limits on the governor's office.

Christian Mitchell, a former state representative who served as Pritzker's deputy governor, will become lieutenant governor. He replaces Juliana Stratton, who left the ticket to run for the U.S. Senate seat held by Dick Durbin, according to Fox 32 Chicago.

DuPage County connections

Pritzker's administration has signed legislation with direct ties to DuPage County. The state eliminated its 1% sales tax on groceries effective Jan. 1, 2026, according to the Illinois Department of Revenue. Municipalities could opt to impose their own 1% local grocery tax in its place.

Pritzker also signed two bills proposed by DuPage County State's Attorney Robert Berlin's office, according to a DuPage County government announcement. One strengthens animal-cruelty prosecution. The other expands protections for elderly residents and people with disabilities and redefines "caregiver" under the criminal code. Both laws take effect Jan. 1, 2027. Deuter sponsored both measures in the House.

Multiple outlets noted Pritzker is considered a potential 2028 presidential contender, though WBEZ reported he has deflected questions about his political future.