The upcoming elections will have Illinoisans voting to elect the governor, other statewide officers, most members of the General Assembly, and our state's 17 representatives in Congress.

Meanwhile, the decision by U.S. Senator Dick Durbin not to seek reelection has created a once-in-a-generation opportunity to be our state's junior senator.

Here at The 21st Show, we committed to offering a full-show interview to every candidate for governor, U.S. Senate, and as many downstate Congressional candidates as time allowed. This held regardless of their party affiliation, their standing in the polls, and their campaign fundraising.

Below is a list of our candidate interviews, as well as some other election-related conversations that may be of interest.

Early voting runs now through Election Day, which is Tuesday, November 3, 2026. You can register to vote or find your polling place through the Illinois State Board of Elections.

Among the choices before voters in this year's election — which is less than a week away — is who should be the governor of Illinois.

Incumbent Democrat J.B. Pritzker is seeking a third term. He’s once again being challenged by Republican Darren Bailey, representing his party for the second election in a row. And there’s also an independent campaign from Collin Corbett, a former Republican political consultant hoping to build a political movement from the center of Illinois politics.

We’ve spoken with all three men on our show, and will listen to some of the highlights from those interviews today.

This week in Chicago the two major-party candidates for Illinois governor faced off in their only debate: Democratic incumbent Gov. J.B. Pritzker, and his second-time Republican challenger Darren Bailey. We’ll talk about what happened with Illinois Public Radio’s Mawa Iqbal.

Dialogue is sharing recent 21st Show interviews with Gov. JB Pritzker (D) and his opponent Darren Bailey (R).

Republican gubernatorial candidate Darren Bailey explains why he's running for governor again and shares his thoughts on existing policies in the state.