Election 2018 coverage from The 21st, Illinois's statewide news talk show. Produced by Illinois Public Media and airing on five NPR member stations in central and northern Illinois.

From left, Republican state Sen. Jason Barickman, former party vice chair Connie Beard, outgoing chair Chuck Erickson, and Normal Town Council member Scott Preston. WGLT

Why The Political Ground In McLean County Might Be Shifting

Republicans in McLean County - which includes Bloomington-Normal and surrounding areas - are used to being in charge, and have had a strong voice in Illinois politics. But local Democrats are fired up for this year's midterm elections. And all the while, both parties are trying to answer the same question: What should it take to be a member of our party?

AP/Andrew Harnik

Understanding All Of These Campaign Ads

A lot of money is being spent on this year's governor's race, and usually those fundraising dollars are used to get the word out through events and advertising. To help you understand the deluge of campaign ads, we talked with the Chicago Tribune's Rick Pearson.