Naperville voters heading to the polls Tuesday, Nov. 3, helped elect Democrat Juliana Stratton to the U.S. Senate, where she will replace retiring Sen. Dick Durbin, first reported by The Associated Press.

Stratton defeated Republican Don Tracy. The AP declared her the winner at 7 p.m. CT, according to an AP wire report carried by KWQC. The Chicago Tribune reported the call came less than a minute after polls closed. American Center Party candidate Whitfield Harrington Jr. also appeared on the ballot, according to ABC 7 Chicago.

As of 8:10 p.m., with 19% of the estimated vote counted, Stratton had 66.9% and Tracy had 31.8%, the Chicago Tribune reported.

Under Illinois law, eligible ballots can continue to be received and counted for up to 14 days after Election Day, according to NBC Chicago. Official results will take longer to certify.

Results become official only after the DuPage County and Will County clerks certify them, according to Positively Naperville.

DuPage and Will counties saw strong turnout

Naperville straddles DuPage and Will counties, and both saw early voting numbers well above the 2022 midterms. DuPage County recorded 123,026 early voters by the end of day Monday, Nov. 2, compared to 86,602 at the same point four years ago, the Chicago Tribune reported.

DuPage County Deputy Chief Clerk Adam Johnson attributed the increase partly to expanded polling access.

Will County saw 62,915 early voters by Monday, up from 43,906 in 2022, the Tribune reported.

Will County Clerk Annette Parker said she was surprised by the jump.

"I think in the past, Republicans came out on Election Day. That was their thing and I think Republicans are embracing some of the vote by mail and early voting, taking advantage of it," Parker said, according to the Tribune.

As of noon on Nov. 3, about 59,887 Election Day votes had been cast at DuPage County precinct polling places, and Will County had recorded about 59,000, the Tribune reported.

What the seat means

Stratton, the state's lieutenant governor, will be the second Black woman to serve Illinois in the Senate, according to the AP report. She was twice elected lieutenant governor as Gov. JB Pritzker's running mate and had Pritzker's endorsement in a contested Democratic primary.

Durbin, the Senate's No. 2 Democrat, announced in 2025 that he would not seek another term, according to the Herald-Whig. He first won the seat in 1996. For the first time in 30 years, Illinois will not have a senator named Durbin, Axios reported.

The outcome carries national weight. Republicans hold a 53-47 Senate majority, and both parties are fighting for control of the chamber in the midterms, Axios reported.

Where the candidates differed

Affordability was the top issue for both leading candidates, NBC Chicago reported, but they disagreed on causes and fixes. Stratton called for raising the federal minimum wage to $25 an hour, according to ABC 7.

Tracy pointed to state costs and lingering inflation from the Biden administration, NBC Chicago reported.

They also split on immigration. Stratton supports abolishing ICE (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement), while Tracy favors stronger border enforcement, according to Axios. They disagreed on Supreme Court reform, federal abortion protections and gun restrictions.

Tracy, a Springfield attorney who chaired the state GOP from 2021 to 2024, ran a relatively quiet general election campaign, the Chicago Tribune reported.

His campaign did not hold an election night party.

Official results will be posted at the Illinois State Board of Elections website once counting and certification are complete.