Gov. J.B. Pritzker will keep his job for four more years after defeating Republican Darren Bailey on Tuesday, Nov. 3, in a rematch that drew strong turnout across DuPage and Will counties.

The Associated Press called the race at 7:01 p.m. Central time, moments after Illinois polls closed, according to the Chicago Tribune.

Pritzker becomes the first Democrat elected to three terms as Illinois governor, according to WAND-TV.

The last three-term governor in the state was Republican James R. Thompson, who served four terms from 1977 to 1991.

Naperville-area voters turned out in force

Naperville residents cast ballots in both DuPage and Will counties. Early voting numbers in both counties ran well ahead of the 2022 midterm, the Chicago Tribune reported.

DuPage County logged 123,026 early voters by the end of the day Nov. 2, compared with 86,602 at the same point four years ago, according to DuPage County Deputy Chief Clerk Adam Johnson.

Will County saw 62,915 early voters, up from 43,906 in 2022, according to Will County Clerk Annette Parker.

Johnson attributed the DuPage increase partly to expanded access. The county started with five early voting sites this cycle, compared with one in 2022. The Naperville Municipal Center at 400 S. Eagle St. was among those sites, according to CBS News Chicago.

As of noon on Election Day, about 59,887 votes had been cast at DuPage County precinct polling places. Will County saw about 59,000 by noon, the Tribune reported.

The rematch

Pritzker, a Democrat first elected in 2018, defeated Bailey by nearly 13 percentage points in 2022. The AP reported that Bailey, a former state lawmaker, also lost to Pritzker in that earlier race. Independent Collin Corbett, a Palatine political consultant and former Republican strategist, was also on the ballot, according to WGN-TV's voter guide.

Affordability dominated the final stretch. Bailey pointed to property taxes and the cost of living as central issues. Pritzker cited raising the state minimum wage from $8.25 to $15 an hour and ending the state grocery tax, ABC 7 reported.

The two clashed over the SAFE-T Act, the 2021 law that eliminated cash bail, during their only debate Oct. 13 on WTTW, Capitol News Illinois reported. Bailey campaigned on repealing the law. Other debate topics included state spending, a new Bears stadium and data centers.

Money and endorsements

Pritzker held a massive fundraising advantage. He spent nearly $23.8 million from July through September, compared with about $941,000 by Bailey's committee, and entered October with about $44.4 million on hand to Bailey's $482,000, according to MultiState.

The Chicago Tribune reported that Pritzker has spent more than $50 million of his personal wealth on the 2026 race alone and more than $400 million across his three gubernatorial campaigns.

Bailey received an endorsement from President Donald Trump in September, according to WGN-TV. Pritzker picked up a cross-party endorsement from former Illinois House Republican leader Jim Durkin, Axios Chicago reported.

What comes next

Christian Mitchell, a former state representative who has served as a deputy governor since 2019, will become lieutenant governor, according to CBS News Chicago.

Mitchell replaced Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton on the ticket after Stratton entered the U.S. Senate race.

Pritzker is considered a potential contender for the 2028 Democratic presidential nomination, though he has given no indication he plans to seek it, WAND-TV reported.

There is no law barring him from running for federal office while serving as governor.