# 2020 United States Senate election in Illinois

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vte :
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 and various state and local elections and the Illinois Fair Tax. Incumbent Democratic Senator Dick Durbin, who had been Senate Minority Whip since 2015, won reelection to a fifth term in office, defeating Republican nominee Mark Curran.
Durbin decisively won re-election 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, 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#### Withdrawn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

Organizations
* Brady Campaign
* Chicago Federation of Labor
* End Citizens United
* Illinois AFL–CIO
* J Street
* National Organization for Women
* Planned Parenthood Action Fund
* Planned Parenthood Illinois Action
* Sierra Club

### Results

Democratic primary results :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Dick Durbin (incumbent) | 1,446,118 | 100.00% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 1,446,118 | 100.00% |

## 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

U.S. representatives
* Bob Dold, former congressman (IL-10)
* Randy Hultgren, former congressman (IL-14)
U.S. Lieutenant Governors
* Evelyn Sanguinetti, former Lt. Governor of Illinois
U.S. Attorneys General
* Jim Ryan, former Attorney General of Illinois
Illinois legislators
* Mike Connelly, former state senator and state representative
* Dan McConchie, state senator
* Matt Murphy, former state senator
* Paul Schimpf, state senator
* W. Timothy Simms, former state senator and state representative
* Al Salvi, former state representative
* Darlene Senger, former state representative
* Tom Weber, state representative
Newspapers
* Chicago Sun-Times
* Chicago Tribune
* Daily Herald
Organizations
* Addison Township
* Cook County GOP
* Fremont Township GOP
* Illinois Family Action PAC
* Illinois Federation for Right to Life PAC
* Lake County GOP
* Libertyville Township GOP
* Lyons Township GOP
* National Right to Life Committee
* New Trier Republican Organization
* Niles Township Republican Organization
* Northfield Township GOP
* Northwest Side GOP Club
* Paul Caprio's Family-PAC
* Republican Women of Park Ridge
* Republicans of Maine Township
* United Hellenic Voters of America
* Warren Township GOP
* Wheeling Township GOP
Individuals
* David Clarke, former Milwaukee County Sheriff

### Results

Republican primary results :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Mark Curran | 205,747 | 41.55% |
| | Republican | Peggy Hubbard | 113,189 | 22.86% |
| | Republican | Robert Marshall | 75,561 | 15.26% |
| | Republican | Tom Tarter | 73,009 | 14.74% |
| | Republican | Casey Chlebek | 27,655 | 5.58% |
| | Republican | Richard Mayers (write-in) | 7 | 0.00% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 495,168 | 100.00% |

## 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

| Source | Ranking | As of |
| The Cook Political Report | Safe D | October 29, 2020 |
| Inside Elections | Safe D | October 28, 2020 |
| Sabato's Crystal Ball | Safe D | November 2, 2020 |
| Daily Kos | Safe D | October 30, 2020 |
| Politico | Safe D | November 2, 2020 |
| RCP | Safe D | October 23, 2020 |
| DDHQ | Safe D | November 3, 2020 |
| 538 | Safe D | November 2, 2020 |
| Economist | Safe D | November 2, 2020 |

### Additional general election endorsements

U.S. presidents
* Barack Obama, 44th president of the United States (2009–2017)
Newspapers
* Chicago Sun-Times
* Daily Chronicle
* Daily Herald
* The Dispatch /The Dispatch–Argus
* The News-Gazette
Organizations
* Council for a Livable World
* Everytown for Gun Safety
* Giffords
* Human Rights Campaign
* Humane Society of the United States Legislative Fund
* Joint Action Committee for Political Affairs
* League of Conservation Voters
* National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare
* National Education Association
* Natural Resources Defense Council Action Fund
Unions
* International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers
* SEIU Healthcare: Indiana-Illinois-Missouri-Kansas
* United Auto Workers
Organizations
* Log Cabin Republicans
* Tazewell County Republican Party
Alderman
* Nicholas Sposato, Alderman for Chicago's 38th Ward
* Anthony Napolitano, Alderman for Chicago's 41st Ward
* Chris Taliaferro, Alderman for Chicago's 29th Ward
Organizations
* Chicago Police Union

### Polling

| Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Dick Durbin (D) | Mark Curran (R) | Willie Wilson (I) | Other | Undecided |
| Research Co. | October 31 – November 1, 2020 | 450 (LV) | ± 4.6% | 52% | 30% | – | 4% | 14% |
| Victory Research | October 26 – November 1, 2020 | 1,208 (LV) | ± 2.8% | 51% | 26% | 15% | 5% | 4% |
with Dick Durbin, generic Republican and Willie Wilson
| Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Dick Durbin (D) | Generic Republican (R) | Willie Wilson (I) | Undecided |
| Ogden & Fry/Citizens for Willie Wilson | September 4, 2019 | 449 (LV) | ± 4.31% | 44% | 34% | 4% | 18% |
with Dick Durbin and Willie Wilson
| Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Dick Durbin (D) | Willie Wilson (I) | Undecided |
| Ogden & Fry/Citizens for Willie Wilson | September 4, 2019 | 420 (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.
United States Senate election in Illinois, 2020 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Democratic | Dick Durbin (incumbent) | 3,278,930 | 54.93% | +1.38% |
| | Republican | Mark Curran | 2,319,870 | 38.87% | −3.82% |
| | Willie Wilson Party | Willie Wilson | 237,699 | 3.98% | N/A |
| | Libertarian | Danny Malouf | 75,673 | 1.27% | −2.49% |
| | Green | David Black | 56,711 | 0.95% | N/A |
| | Write-in | Write-in | 18 | 0.00% | N/A |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 5,968,901 | 100.0% | |
| | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold |

#### 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 6 going to Curran, including one that elected a Democrat.
| District | Durbin | Curran | Representative |
| 1st | 64% | 22% | Bobby Rush |
| 2nd | 68% | 18% | Robin Kelly |
| 3rd | 55% | 37% | Dan Lipinski |
| 3rd | 55% | 37% | Marie Newman |
| 4th | 78% | 14% | Chuy García |
| 5th | 69% | 25% | Mike Quigley |
| 6th | 51% | 44% | Sean Casten |
| 7th | 75% | 12% | Danny Davis |
| 8th | 58% | 37% | Raja Krishnamoorthi |
| 9th | 68% | 27% | Jan Schakowsky |
| 10th | 60% | 36% | Brad Schneider |
| 11th | 59% | 35% | Bill Foster |
| 12th | 44% | 53% | Mike Bost |
| 13th | 47.7% | 48.3% | Rodney Davis |
| 14th | 47% | 48% | Lauren Underwood |
| 15th | 29% | 68% | Mary Miller |
| 16th | 41% | 55% | Adam Kinzinger |
| 17th | 49% | 48% | Cheri Bustos |
| 18th | 37% | 60% | Darin LaHood |