Cash Pouring Into Competitive Senate Races
Sen. Darby Hills (R-Barrington Hills) and Rep. Nabeela Syed (D-Palatine) are spending big dollars for Hills’ 26th District Senate seat.
With five weeks remaining until the November 3 General Election, Senate Democrats and Republicans have begun pumping major cash into competitive races around the state.
Here’s a rundown of what’s happening in some major races:
Senate District 24- Sen. Seth Lewis (R-Bartlett)
Lewis, the insurance agent from Bartlett who was elected to the Senate in 2022 after serving a term in the House, faces a challenge from 29-year-old progressive Ben McAdams, a law school graduate who was most recently employed by the Wheaton Park District.
It isn’t clear that Senate Democrats are fully invested in McAdams, a DSA-style candidate in a district Kamala Harris won by around three points in 2024.
Senate Democrats have paid for media production, have polled, and have a staffer on the ground. The caucus has also given McAdams $15,000.
Republicans fear the district is trending away from them, but are confident in Lewis’ centrist style appealing to the district.
Senate Republicans have given Lewis $150,000 cash.
Lewis is running positive digital and has put at least three mail pieces into the district. Senate Republicans have two staffers in district, too.
Senate District 26- Sen. Darby Hills (R-Barrington Hills)
In what could be the highest profile, and potentially most expensive race in the state this year, Hills faces 27-year-old progressive Rep. Nabeela Syed (D-Palatine), who was one of the youngest elected state lawmakers in the country when she was elected to the House in 2022. Hills is a former Cook County Assistant State’s Attorney and non-profit executive, who was appointed to the seat when Sen. Dan McConchie retired last year.
Senate Democrats love Syed and see the district as likely their best pickup opportunity on the map this year. And they’re putting their money behind Syed.
The Senate Democratic campaign arm has given Syed $725,000 cash and have paid for staff and polling. Syed has raised about $350,000 in union contributions since July 1.
Senate Republicans have given Hills $300,000 cash and have three staffers on the ground.
Syed’s campaign has put at least 13 pieces of mail into the district, according to financial disclosures. Hills has put at least three mailers out so far.
Hills is running both positive (another and another) and negative digital. Syed is running positive digital.
Democrats appear to be following the typical 2026 playbook, attempting to tie Hills to “MAGA extremists” and corporations.
Kamala Harris won the district by ten points in 2024. Governor Pritzker won it by 11.
Senate District 32- Sen. Craig Wilcox (R-McHenry)
Wilcox has served in the Senate since 2018, and the GOP has seen this McHenry district trend away in recent years. President Trump won the district by six points in 2024, but won it by ten in 2016. Darren Bailey won the district by two points in 2022.
Democrats appear to be making a run at Wilcox with nurse Karen Battaglia of Antioch.
The Senate Dem campaign arm has given her $270,000 cash, have paid for polling, and has a staffer on the ground. Democrats have put at least three mail pieces into the district so far.
Wilcox has at least two mail pieces in the district. Senate Republicans also have a staffer on the ground.
The Senate GOP has put $100,000 into digital advertising for Wilcox, who is running both positive (another) and negative (another) short-form digital ads. Battaglia is running positive digital.
Senate District 33- OPEN (DeWitte)
Many Republicans are starting to believe the race to replace outgoing Sen. Don DeWitte is slipping away quickly. But Senate Republicans appear to be doing everything they can to save it.
Democrats love their candidate, D300 food pantry Director of Development Michele Clark of Algonquin, while Republican Danielle Penman, a nurse from St. Charles, beat the Senate GOP’s preferred candidate in March. Though, we’ve been told the SGOP are on board with Penman in November.
Senate Democrats have given Clark $165,000 cash, paid for ad production, polling, and have three staff on the ground.
Senate Republicans have given Penman around $300,000 cash, paid for ad production, and are paying two staffers.
Clark has at least four mailers in the district. Penman has at least three.
Clark is running positive digital, which, unsurprisingly, is fully focused on federal issues. Penman is up with new digital this morning, including with an endorsement from the popular DeWitte.
Senate District 48- Sen. Doris Turner (D-Springfield)
Of all the legislative races in the state, it appears Turner’s re-election campaign against Republican Sangamon County Recorder Frank Lesko is the only one where both candidates are on TV.
Turner began running positive TV in August and started hitting Lesko shortly thereafter. Lesko recently went up with an attack on Turner.
Senate Democrats are all in to protect Turner in this 50/50 district, giving her $225,000, paying for polling and ad production. There appear to be three staffers on the ground.
Senate Republicans haven’t invested much in the race so far, a few thousand from members and $25,000 from Senate GOP Leader John Curran (R-Downers Grove). The SGOP is paying for a staffer.
Turner has at least three mail pieces out. Lesko’s campaign has yet to report any mail.
Turner is currently running positive and negative digital. It does not appear that Lesko is currently up on digital.
Senate District 56- Sen. Erica Harriss (R-Glen Carbon)
Sen. Erica Harriss (R-Glen Carbon) flipped a Democratic Metro East seat four years ago and Democrats want it back.
Harriss faces Democrat Marsie Geldert-Murphey of Glen Carbon, a civil engineer, for the seat.
President Trump won the district by around two points in 2024. Darren Bailey won the district by around four points in 2022.
Republicans have given Harriss around $255,000 cash, paid for ad production, and have a staffer on the ground.
Senate Democrats have given Geldert-Murphey $90,000 cash, paid for polling, and have two staffers in district.
Democrats have put at least seven mailers into the district. Here is one of Geldert-Murphey’s mail pieces. Harriss has at least three mailers in the field.
Geldert-Murphey is running positive and negative digital. Harriss is running positive and negative digital.
Neither the Senate Republican or Senate Democratic campaign arms commented on the record about any of their strategies.
