With nearly all votes counted, community organizer Miguel Alvelo Rivera was on the verge of upsetting incumbent State Rep. Jaime Andrade Jr. in a closely watched race to represent the 40th District on the Northwest Side, overcoming big money that poured in for his opponent in the weeks before Election Day.
Rivera was ahead with 56% of the votes with 99% of Democratic ballots counted. He declared victory, though the race had yet to be called by the Associated Press.
It was one of the dozens of Illinois State Senate and Representative races on the primary ballot Tuesday and among several hotly contested races in local districts where incumbents faced spirited challengers.
In a South Side and south suburban district, Democratic voters stuck with incumbent state Sen. Emil Jones III, capping off a major comeback for Jones after he reached a deal in December to drop federal bribery charges against him.
Jones edged out two challengers. This is the first time in his 16-year Senate career that he faced a contested primary.
40th Illinois House District
Rivera declared victory in a statement posted to social media, emphasizing the fundraising gulf between the two campaigns. He credited his volunteers and supporters for showing that “solidarity beats corporate greed.” Rivera vowed to take his progressive message to Springfield.
“To tax the rich to fund our schools and hospitals, lift the ban on rent control and ensure every family has a home, stop AI data centers and protect our environment, and keep each other safe from fascism,” he said.
Rivera ran as a progressive outsider while Andrade counted on his track record with voters in the 40th District, which includes a stretch of the Northwest Side from Bucktown to Albany Park. Andrade’s fundraising surged since January with big support from Illinois Democrats in Springfield and the Illinois Democratic party. His campaign brought in nearly $1 million in donations over $1,000 since January.
Rivera raised $232,000 since January, mostly from the Chicago Teachers Union political action committee along with the Illinois Federation of Teachers PAC. Rivera had the endorsement of several area elected officials, including U.S. Rep. Delia Ramirez, whose district includes part of Andrade’s district.
The race grew contentious after Andrade’s campaign attempted to paint Rivera as a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement supporter in mailers.
14th Illinois Senate District
Sen. Jones will face Crestwood Village trustee Brian Skala in the heavily Democratic area in the fall general election. Jones has held the seat in the 14th Senate District since 2010. He replaced his powerful father, former Senate President Emil Jones Jr., who began his run in the General Assembly in 1973 and helped elevate Barack Obama to the U.S. Senate.
Jones’ chances looked grim last year after he faced a trial on federal charges alleging that he took bribes and lied to federal authorities. Gov. JB Pritzker asked for his resignation and it looked like Jones’ political career was over. But after a jury couldn’t reach a verdict Jones reached a deal in December that would drop federal bribery charges against him.
6th Illinois Senate District
State Sen. Sara Feigenholtz, another incumbent, fended off a challenge from opponent Nick Uniejewski in the 6th District. The area includes the lakefront communities of Lake View, Lincoln Park and the Near Side North. Feigenholtz was appointed to represent the district in 2020 after a 25-year career in the Illinois House.
Uniejewski relied on volunteers and social media to try and bridge the gap between fundraising efforts. Feigenholtz had $1.2 million at year’s end and, as of Friday, had reported raising another $307,000 in donations over $1,000 since January. That compares with $41,000 raised for Uniejewski.
12th Illinois House District
In the 12th House District, which covers the Near North Side to Belmont Harbor, four candidates competed to replace the seat left by Margaret Croke, who ran for state comptroller: Paul Kendrick, Litcy Kurisinkal, Karim Lakhani and Mac LeBuhn.
Kendrick, who received Croke’s endorsement, handily defeated his three opponents. The 42-year-old ran Rust Belt Rising, which works with Democratic candidates in six Great Lakes states to “transform their values into persuasive economic messages,” and he has worked in education policy on campaigns.
He will face Justin Kumar, CEO of a holding company that works in real estate, venture capital and consulting, in the general election.
“I’m moved by the trust neighbors put in me. In thousands of conversations I’ve had, I’ve heard their worries and hopes and I’ll work on affordability, safety and strong schools for our community,” Kendrick said in an interview with the Sun-Times. “I’ll want to continue to earn the trust of voters headed into November.”
