Seventeen candidates have filed for McLean County Board seats next year.
The deadline to file for the March 17, 2026 primary elections was Monday.
There are 10 contested county board races on the ballot, one in each district. There will be no primaries for any county races next March, according to records posted online by the McLean County Clerk’s office.
Democrats hold a 12-8 majority on the board. Six of the 10 seats on the ballot next year are currently held by Democrats. Only three of those races have a Republican candidate.
In District 1 [northeastern McLean County], Republican incumbent Andrew Ziebarth filed along with Democrat Dennis Killian.
In District 2 [southeastern McLean County], Republican incumbent Bill Friedrich filed, as did Democrat Raul Martinez.
In District 3 [western McLean County], Republican incumbent Brian Bangert filed, along with Democrat Rick Perez Jr.
In District 4 [northwest Normal], Democrat William Bessler and Republican Jerry Klinkner filed for the seat currently held by Democrat Krystle Able, who announced previously she was not seeking re-election.
In District 5 [northeast Normal], Democrat incumbent Buck Farley filed for reelection. Republican Jeffrey Lord also filed for the seat.
In District 6 [Uptown Normal, Illinois State University campus], Democrat incumbent Beverly Bell filed and will run unopposed in the general election.
In District 7 [east Bloomington], Republican Geoff Tompkins is running for reelection against Democrat John D. Poling.
In District 8 [west Bloomington], Democrat Lea Cline will be unopposed in her re-election bid.
In District 9 [south Bloomington], Democrat Jennifer Brown was the only candidate to file for the seat currently held by Democrat Natalie Roseman-Mendoza.
In District 10 [far east Bloomington-Normal], Democratic incumbent Corey Beirne is running for re-election against Republican Matt Steinkoenig.
County Clerk Kathy Michael and county treasurer Rebecca McNeil, both Republicans, are running unopposed next year.
McLean County Sheriff's Lt. Jon Albee is running to replace Matt Lane, the Republican sheriff who is retiring after one term.
Congress
U.S. Rep. Eric Sorensen will have a primary opponent next spring in his bid for a third term in the 17th Congressional District. Democrat Montez Soliz of Rockford filed for the seat. Julie Bickelhaupt of Mount Carroll and Dillan Vancil of Gladstone filed for the Republican primary.
In the 16th Congressional District, incumbent Republican Darin LaHood, who has been in office since 2015, faces a primary challenge from John Kitover of Chicago. Paul Nolley of Roscoe is the only Democrat to file.
Illinois legislature
State lawmakers who represent parts of McLean County will face little opposition in their reelection bids next year.
State Rep. Sharon Chung, D-Bloomington, was the only candidate to file for what would be her third term in Springfield. Chung represents the 91st House District that stretches from Bloomington-Normal along Interstate 74 west to Peoria.
A general election race has emerged in the 105th district that stretches from north of Bloomington-Normal to the LaSalle-Peru area. Republican Woodford County Coroner Tim Ruestman of Kappa has filed to replace state Rep. Dennis Tipsword, who has announced his candidacy for Woodford County sheriff. Democrat Lisa Tejeda also has filed for the seat.
In the 87th district, covering a mostly rural area south of I-74 between Bloomington-Normal and Peoria, state Rep. Bill Hauter faces no opposition in his reelection bid.
Republican state Rep. Regan Deering was the only candidate to file in the 88th district, a heavily conservative district that stretches from northeastern McLean County to east of Decatur.
In the 106th district that includes far northeastern McLean County, Republican Rep. Jason Bunting was the only candidate to file.
In the Illinois Senate, Republican Sally Turner of Beason is running unopposed in her reelection effort in the 44th district that includes a heavily rural area between Bloomington-Normal and Decatur.
Republican state Sen. Chris Balkema filed for re-election without opposition in the 53rd district that includes areas north of Bloomington-Normal from Peoria to the Indiana border.
The general election will be Nov. 3, 2026.
