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.

Democrats won decisively across the country Tuesday, and Illinois was no exception. Gov. J.B. Pritzker won a third term, defeating Republican Darren Bailey for the second time. Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton won the race to succeed U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin.

Chicago Tribune political writer Dan Petrella joins The 21st Show to sort through the results. Topics include where Stratton fits in a changing Democratic Party, Pritzker's national ambitions and the money he's spent helping candidates around the country, what's next for Illinois Republicans, Democratic gains in the General Assembly (and DuPage County), and another round of wins for the movement to split Illinois in two.

Plus, listeners from across the 21st state shared their reactions, along with what they want Democrats to do with their new power in Washington.

Election Day is less than a week away, and one of the biggest choices before Illinois voters is who will succeed retiring U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin.

Democratic Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton is facing Republican Don Tracy, a former chairman of the Illinois Republican Party, and Whitfield Harrington Jr., a Chicago pastor running with the American Center Party. Our conversations covered the war in Iran, America's relationship with Israel, immigration enforcement and the Senate filibuster.

We've spoken with all three candidates on our show, and today we listen back to some of the highlights from those interviews.

Tuesday night was the only scheduled debate in the campaign to be the next U.S. Senator from Illinois. Republican Don Tracy faced off against Democratic Lieutenant Governor Juliana Stratton. We’ll recap what happened with Illinois public radio reporter Mawa Iqbal.

Dialogue is sharing recent 21st Show interviews with the 2026 US Senate candidates from Illinois.