- Democratic incumbent US Sen. Tammy Duckworth is projected to beat Republican Kathy Salvi to represent Illinois.
- Illinois is a reliably Democratic state.
Democratic incumbent Sen. Tammy Duckworth is projected to beat Republican Kathy Salvi in Illinois and represent the state in the US Senate.
Polls are closed.
Illinois' Senate race candidates
Duckworth, an Iraq War veteran born in Bangkok, currently chairs the Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Airland. The congresswoman is an outspoken advocate for veterans, and has served in multiple capacities related to veterans' affairs.
Duckworth served four years as a helicopter pilot in the US Army Reserve before joining the Illinois National Guard in 1996. In 2004, she was deployed to Iraq as a Blackhawk helicopter pilot for the Guard as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom, where her helicopter was shot down, leading to the amputation of both of her legs. For her service, she was awarded the Purple Heart.
Prior to being elected to the US Senate, Duckworth served as director of the Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs and then in the Obama administration as assistant secretary of the US Department of Veterans Affairs. She is also a former member of the US House, representing Illinois' 8th Congressional District for two terms.
Salvi, her challenger, is a political newcomer who currently works as a partner at the law firm of Salvi & Maher. Prior to entering private practice, she served as a judicial clerk to Justice Harry D. Strouse of the Second Appellate District, then as an assistant public defender with the Lake County Public Defender's Office.
She believes the top three issues facing Illinois residents are the economy, education and crime, while Duckworth ranks the top three as the economy, abortion rights and capping pharmaceutical prices.
Illinois' voting history
The state voted for Joe Biden over then-President Donald Trump by a margin of 17 percentage points in the 2020 election. Illinois has voted Democratic in the last eight elections.
The money race
According to OpenSecrets, Duckworth has raised $20.4 million, spent $14.6 million, and has $6 million cash on hand, as of October 19. Her challenger, Salvi, has raised $1.1 million, spent $967,671, and has $166,105 cash on hand, as of October 19.
What experts say
The race between Duckworth and Salvi is rated as "solid Democratic" by Inside Elections, "solid Democratic" by The Cook Political Report, and "safe Democratic" by Sabato's Crystal Ball at the University of Virginia Center for Politics.