Gov. Bruce Rauner made a surprising early concession speech to Democratic challenger J.B. Pritzker Tuesday night less than an hour after polls closed, the first in a series of major victories for Democrats following early predictions of a “blue wave” at the ballots. Democrat Kwame Raoul defeated Republican Erika Harold for the Illinois attorney general seat, aided by a last-minute $1 million infusion to his campaign funds from Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan.
Incumbent Democrat Susana Mendoza cruised to victory on Tuesday over Republican former state Rep. Darlene Senger to hold her post as Illinois comptroller.
On the advisory referendum questions posed on Chicago ballots, voters overwhelmingly supported a proposal to appropriate revenue from marijuana sales to fund Chicago Public Schools and public mental health services if the drug were legalized in the state.
Sun-Times election night livestream
Chicago Sun-Times Washington Bureau Chief Lynn Sweet will host a number of guests throughout the night to break down the results of the 2018 midterm elections as returns come in. Guests will join Sun-Times reporters and columnists to analyze the various races in real time.
Having trouble viewing the livestream? Try this link.
Some of the guests are Lt. Gov. Evelyn Sanguinetti; Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle; state Rep. Jeanne Ives; Scott Kennedy, of Illinois Election Data; Clem Balanoff, chairman of One Revolution Illinois; Roosevelt University political science professor David Faris; UIC political science professor Christopher Mooney; and U.S. Reps. Robin Kelly, Danny Davis and Luis Gutierrez.
• Election Day live blog coverage
• Live updating Illinois election results
• Illinois gubernatorial election results
• Illinois attorney general election results
• Illinois U.S. House of Representatives election results
