The 2020 United States Senate election in Illinois was held on November 3, 2020, to elect a member of the United States Senate to represent the State of Illinois, concurrently with the 2020 U.S. presidential election, as well as other elections to the United States Senate, elections to the United States House of Representatives, various state and local elections, and the Illinois Fair Tax. Incumbent Democratic Senator Dick Durbin, who had been Senate Minority Whip since 2015, won election to a fifth and final term in office, defeating Republican nominee Mark Curran.
Durbin won with 54.9% of the vote. Key to Durbin's landslide victory was the heavily populated and very Democratic Cook County, home of Chicago, which he won by around 560,000 votes. Durbin also did well in the suburban counties, often called "collar counties", of Chicago, winning all of them except McHenry County. Durbin did well in Champaign County, home of the University of Illinois, and St. Clair County, where his birth home of East St. Louis is located. Nevertheless, Curran did well in most rural areas of the state, including winning rural Alexander County where a Republican had not won since 1972. Durbin became the first senator from Illinois to be elected five consecutive times since senators began being elected by popular vote in 1913.
Background The primaries and general elections coincide with those for federal (president and House) and those for state offices.
For the primaries, turnout was 28.36%, with 2,279,439 votes cast.
Democratic primary Candidates Nominee Dick Durbin, incumbent U.S. senator and Senate Minority Whip
Withdrawn Marilyn Jordan Lawlor, anti-war activist Anne Stava-Murray, state representative
Declined Cheri Bustos, incumbent U.S. representative for Illinois's 17th congressional district (running for re-election) Lisa Madigan, former Illinois attorney general
Endorsements
Results
Republican primary Candidates Nominee Mark Curran, former Lake County sheriff and candidate for attorney general in 2014
Eliminated in primary Casey Chlebek, businessman Peggy Hubbard, U.S. Navy veteran and former police officer Robert Marshall, physician and perennial candidate, Democratic primary candidate for governor of Illinois in 2018 Richard Mayers (as a write-in candidate), perennial candidate and alleged white supremacist; Tom Tarter, cancer surgeon
Withdrew Preston Nelson, Republican candidate for Illinois's 12th congressional district in 2018 (ran for IL-08 as a Libertarian) Dean Seppelfrick Connor Vlakancic, CEO of 5Star Inc. (switched to independent)
Declined Rodney Davis, incumbent U.S. representative for Illinois's 13th congressional district (running for re-election) Erika Harold, attorney, former Miss America, candidate for IL-13 in 2014, and nominee for attorney general in 2018 Darin LaHood, incumbent U.S. representative for Illinois's 18th congressional district (running for re-election)
Endorsements
Results
Other candidates A legal ruling, taking note of the COVID-19 pandemic in Illinois, allowed the Libertarian and Green parties to have their selected candidate on the ballot without the normal signature requirements, as they each ran a candidate for U.S. Senate in 2016.
Constitution Party Removed from ballot Chad Koppie, perennial candidate and former member of the Kane County Regional Board of School Trustees
Green Party Nominee David F. Black, Green Party nominee for Illinois attorney general in 2010
Independent American Party Withdrawn Keith Richardson
Libertarian Party Nominee Danny Malouf, human resource director, former Republican candidate for the 2020 Illinois 14th congressional district election
Willie Wilson Party Declared Willie Wilson, businessman and perennial candidate
Independents Declared Kevin Keely, substitute teacher and community activist (as a write-in candidate) Albert A. Schaal (as a write-in candidate) Lowell Martin Seida, perennial candidate (as a write-in candidate)
Withdrawn Patrick Feges Julie Rushing Connor Vlakancic, affiliated with the Republican Party (switched from Republican candidacy)
General election Predictions SourceRankingAs of The Cook Political Report October 29, 2020 Inside Elections October 28, 2020 Sabato's Crystal Ball November 2, 2020Daily Kos October 30, 2020Politico November 2, 2020RCPOctober 23, 2020DDHQ November 3, 2020538 November 2, 2020EconomistNovember 2, 2020
Additional general election endorsements
Polling Poll source Date(s)administered Samplesize Marginof error DickDurbin (D) MarkCurran (R) WillieWilson (I) Other UndecidedResearch Co.Research Co.October 31 – November 1, 2020450 (LV)± 4.6%52%30% –4%14%Victory ResearchVictory ResearchOctober 26 – November 1, 20201,208 (LV)± 2.8%51%26%15%5%4%
with Dick Durbin, generic Republican and Willie Wilson Poll source Date(s)administered Samplesize Marginof error DickDurbin (D) Generic Republican (R) WillieWilson (I) UndecidedOgden & Fry/Citizens for Willie WilsonOgden & Fry/Citizens for Willie WilsonSeptember 4, 2019449 (LV)± 4.31%44%34%4%18%
with Dick Durbin and Willie Wilson Poll source Date(s)administered Samplesize Marginof error DickDurbin (D) WillieWilson (I) UndecidedOgden & Fry/Citizens for Willie WilsonSeptember 4, 2019420 (LV)± 4.31%44%25%31%
Results Durbin also kept his landslide winning streak by winning with at least a ten-point margin. Durbin was sworn in on January 3, 2021, for his fifth term, which expires on January 3, 2027.
Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican
Alexander (largest city: Cairo) Calhoun (largest village: Hardin) Fulton (largest city: Canton) Gallatin (largest city: Shawneetown) Henderson (largest village: Oquawka) Knox (largest city: Galesburg) Pulaski (largest city: Mounds)
Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic
DeKalb (largest city: DeKalb) DuPage (largest city: Aurora) Kane (largest city: Aurora) Kendall (largest village: Oswego) McLean (largest city: Bloomington) Peoria (largest city: Peoria) Will (largest city: Joliet) Winnebago (largest city: Rockford)
By congressional district Durbin won 12 of the 18 congressional districts, with the remaining six going to Curran, including one that elected a Democrat.
District Durbin Curran Representative64% 22%Bobby Rush68% 18%Robin Kelly55%37%Dan LipinskiMarie Newman78% 14%Chuy García69% 25%Mike Quigley51% 44%Sean Casten75% 12%Danny Davis58% 37%Raja Krishnamoorthi68% 27%Jan Schakowsky60% 36%Brad Schneider59% 35%Bill Foster 44% 53%Mike Bost 47.7% 48.3%Rodney Davis 47% 48%Lauren Underwood 29% 68%Mary Miller 41% 55%Adam Kinzinger 49% 48%Cheri Bustos 37% 60%Darin LaHood
Notes
Partisan clients
References
External links
(state affiliate of the U.S. League of Women Voters)
Official campaign websites David Black (G) for U.S. Senate Mark Curran (R) for U.S. Senate Dick Durbin (D) for U.S. Senate Danny Malouf (L) for U.S. Senate Willie Wilson (I) for U.S. Senate