The two Democrats running for Champaign County Executive in the 2026 primary shared their views on data centers, federal immigration enforcement and much more.

For the fourth time since Democrats won a majority on the Champaign County Board in 2002, one of those Democrats has become county board chair with Republican support. Giraldo Rosales was named the county board’s new chair at Monday night’s organization meeting.

In a victory unheard of in a non-presidential election year, Champaign County Democrats have won every countywide office on the ballot --- sheriff, treasurer, auditor, clerk and the new office of county executive.

This fall, voters in Champaign County are choosing their first county executive. The holder of this new elected office will preside over county board meetings, and be the day-to-day manager of county government. Before we meet Gordie Hulten and Darlene Kloeppel, the two candidates running for the post, it’s useful to get an idea of the county executive’s powers.

The two candidates for Champaign County Executive, Republican Gordy Hulten and Democrat Darlene Kloeppel, both say they'll be able to overcome divisions on the Champaign County Board in order to reach consensus.