217 Today: A look at the first debate between the three Illinois Democrats vying to become the state’s next U.S. senator
Tyler Pasciak LaRiviere/Sun-Times
Wednesday, January 28, 2026
Today’s headlines:
- A Democrat running for Illinois’ open U.S. Senate seat says he wants to invest in rural communities.
- New bipartisan legislation would modernize how the U.S. Department of Agriculture doles out loans to farmers.
- Champaign County is looking for election judges ahead of Illinois' primary election on March 17.
- The Illinois-based American Academy of Pediatrics released its 2026 childhood and adolescent vaccine schedule on Monday, and it advises kids to get all routine vaccines.
In today’s deep dive, a look at the first face-to-face debate between the three Illinois Democrats vying to become the state’s next U.S. senator that happened earlier this week.
217 Today is produced by Giuliana Means. Reporting today contributed by Christine Herman, Arjun Thakkar, Will Bauer, Mawa Iqbal and Minju Park.
