Barring successful petition objections, the roster is complete for governor and U.S. Senate candidates in the March 17, 2026, primary.

The final day of petition filing Monday punctuated the start of what will be a raucous contest for U.S. Sen Dick Durbin ’s seat, with 22 hopefuls. The 80-year-old Springfield Democrat is bowing out when his term ends in 2027.

Democratic front-runners are U.S. Reps. Robin Kelly of Lynwood and Raja Krishnamoorthi of Schaumburg, and Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton of Chicago.

Springfield attorney Don Tracy, a Republican, joined the fray on Friday. Tracy is well-known in GOP circles after several years serving as state party chair.

Other Republicans in the hunt include: university instructor Cary Capparelli of Chicago; CaSándra Claiborne of Chicago; retir

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