Pritzker is reelected — and all the other Election Day news you need to know – Chicago Tribune

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Many incumbent Illinois Democrats held on to their seats in Illinois Tuesday night, with Gov. J.B. Pritzker at the top of the ticket.

Pritzker was elected to a second term as Illinois governor, overwhelming the rural and religious-based conservative candidacy of state Sen. Darren Bailey. And after a campaign charged with emotion over issues including crime and the state’s pandemic response, Democrat Kwame Raoul declared victory in his bid for a second term as Illinois’ attorney general over a challenge from Republican Thomas DeVore.

And for the first time in nearly two dozen years, Illinois residents — and Illinois drivers, perhaps most significantly — elected a new secretary of state. Democrat Alexi Giannoulias claimed victory over Republican Dan Brady in the race Tuesday night.

Illinois voters appeared to support the “Workers’ Rights” amendment in early returns.

Toni Preckwinkle declared victory in her bid for a fourth term as Cook County Board president in a race that landed voters in familiar territory: a rematch with Bob Fioretti. Other Democrats running for countywide seats similarly held strong leads Tuesday night, while the campaign pushing for a referendum raising property taxes to help bolster the Cook County Forest Preserve District’s budget similarly hailed a “yes” vote.

In a Chicago-area contest that has drawn high-profile national attention and money, Democratic U.S. Rep. Sean Casten declared victory after fending off Republican challenger Keith Pekau, the mayor of Orland Park, to win a third term. Meanwhile, U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth sailed to a second term.

Nationally, there wasn’t a “red wave” by Republicans as many predicted. Read election takeaways here and keep up with the latest vote totals here.

See all Illinois election results and read our full election coverage.

Here are the top stories you need to know to start your day.

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While some Chicago voters in Tuesday’s midterm elections showed up at the wrong place, elections officials appeared to avoid widespread confusion stemming from recent changes to the city’s polling places.

The polls closed at 7 p.m. Tuesday, marking the end of an election that — while seeing much higher turnout than the June primary — saw fewer reported staffing problems. But other problems emerged, from some voters not given a full set of ballots to others confused over the use of felt pens for paper ballots.

Wealthy progressive Democrat J.B. Pritzker was elected to a second term as Illinois governor, overwhelming the rural and religious-based conservative candidacy of state Sen. Darren Bailey after the governor spent millions of dollars in the primary for ads that helped nominate Bailey as his preferred challenger.

With 88% of the state’s precincts counted, Pritzker had 55% of the vote to 42% for Bailey amid indications Democrats had more than overcome concerns at the statewide level of a potential surge of anti-incumbent attitudes fueling Republicans, according to unofficial results. Pritzker also had significant leads in the Chicago area and among suburban voters who are a key determinant in statewide elections.

For the first time in nearly two dozen years, Illinois residents — and Illinois drivers, perhaps most significantly — elected a new secretary of state.

With 57% of precincts reporting, Democrat Alexi Giannoulias led Republican Dan Brady in his bid to replace Jesse White, the beloved politician who has overseen the secretary of state’s office since 1999. Giannoulias had 57% of the vote to Brady’s 41%.

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After a campaign charged with emotion over issues including crime and the state’s pandemic response, Democrat Kwame Raoul declared victory in his bid for a second term as Illinois’ attorney general over a challenge from Republican Thomas DeVore.

With 87% of precincts reporting, Raoul had 55% of the vote and DeVore, a downstate attorney, had nearly 43%, according to unofficial results. Raoul’s double-digit win tracked with other statewide Democratic candidates, including Gov. J.B. Pritzker.

Democratic U.S. Rep. Sean Casten declared victory after fending off Republican challenger Keith Pekau, the mayor of Orland Park, to win a third term in a Chicago-area contest that has drawn high-profile national attention and money as it tightened up in recent weeks.

With votes still being tallied but with 96% of precincts reporting in the 6th Congressional District, Casten was holding onto a lead with about 54% of the vote, compared with about 46% for Pekau, who conceded the race to Casten late Thursday.

As Justin Fields and the Chicago Bears offense continues to surge — and a depleted defense continues to struggle — the Tribune’s Brad Biggs opens his weekly Bears mailbag ahead of Sunday’s home game against the Detroit Lions.

A big, rangy Marvel follow-up — made without the grand presence of Chadwick Boseman, who died two years after “Black Panther” came out in 2018 — “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” acknowledges the loss of both King T’Challa and the actor who played him with a grave and moving extended prologue. It’s exactly right, down to the last flip-flip-flip of the Marvel Studios logo dedicated this time to images of the star no longer with us.

This is followed by an hour or so of scene-setting, reintroductions and introductions deft and engaging enough to make you think: Can all this really be sustained in the back half?