Boone County Sample Ballot & Voter Guide 2026
Who is running for Illinois Senate, Illinois House and Regional Superintendent of Schools and more, and where they stand on taxes, the budget and jobs.
School board
Regional Superintendent of Schools (Regional Office of Education #4)Scott Bloomquist (R)
Unopposed: still on your ballot.
Scott Bloomquist
Scott Bloomquist is the Regional Superintendent of Schools for Boone and Winnebago counties (Regional Office of Education #4), per the office's website. Per the same page, he previously served as a district superintendent, principal and curriculum director, is a certified coach and national presenter on school safety and school climate, and moved from part-time bus driver to superintendent in 13 years. No campaign website was found as of October 6, 2026.
Scott Bloomquist is unopposed on the November 3, 2026 ballot for Regional Superintendent of Schools, Regional Office of Education #4 (Boone and Winnebago counties), per the Illinois State Board of Elections' certified 2026 general election candidate list. Illinois elects a regional superintendent countywide across the whole region every four years. The name still appears on the ballot; the race is uncontested.
Full race pageJudges
Circuit Court, 17th Judicial Circuit, 1st Subcircuit, Vacancy of Hon. LowryErin C. Hannigan (D)
Unopposed: still on your ballot.
Erin C. Hannigan
Erin C. Hannigan is a Seventeenth Judicial Circuit judge in Winnebago County, appointed by the Illinois Supreme Court effective January 20, 2026 to fill the vacancy left by the retirement of Chief Judge John Lowry, per the Illinois Courts news release. A supporting committee's site says she brings about two decades of trial practice in Winnebago County, including criminal and local-government law. No campaign website was found as of October 1, 2026.
Erin C. Hannigan is on the November 3, 2026 ballot to fill a vacancy in the 1st Subcircuit of the 17th Judicial Circuit (the seat vacated by the Hon. Lowry). The 17th Judicial Circuit covers Boone and Winnebago counties, but this subcircuit seat is elected only by voters inside its own subcircuit boundaries (this county list cannot narrow which part; check your sample ballot or county clerk). Listed from the Illinois State Board of Elections' certified 2026 general election candidate list.
Full race pageCircuit Court, 17th Judicial Circuit, 2nd Subcircuit, Vacancy of Hon. DohertyScott Robinson (R)
Unopposed: still on your ballot.
Scott Robinson
Scott Robinson is a sitting Seventeenth Judicial Circuit judge, appointed by the Illinois Supreme Court effective December 4, 2024 to fill the vacancy created when Justice Eugene Doherty moved to the Appellate Court, per the Illinois State Bar Association. Per the same announcement, he was previously an Assistant State's Attorney in Winnebago and Ogle counties and spent nine years teaching at Hononegah Community High School. No campaign website was found as of October 1, 2026.
Scott Robinson is on the November 3, 2026 ballot to fill a vacancy in the 2nd Subcircuit of the 17th Judicial Circuit (the seat vacated by the Hon. Doherty). The 17th Judicial Circuit covers Boone and Winnebago counties, but this subcircuit seat is elected only by voters inside its own subcircuit boundaries (this county list cannot narrow which part; check your sample ballot or county clerk). Listed from the Illinois State Board of Elections' certified 2026 general election candidate list.
Full race pageBy address
These seats are elected by district; only the district covering your address is on your ballot.
Boone County is split across 6 Illinois Senate and House districts.
Find your districts by addressIllinois Senate: 2 districtsDistricts 35, 45
Illinois Senate District 35Sarah B. Mertens (D) · Dave Syverson (R)
Sarah B. Mertens
Top priorities
From the campaign site
- Defending democracy and voting rights
- Shifting the tax burden off working families
- Protecting and uplifting all identities
About Sarah B. Mertens
Mertens holds a bachelor's degree in Teaching German as a Foreign Language from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and has worked for a health insurance company and teaching English as a second language online, per the campaign site. Mertens lives in Crystal Lake, where she works as a substitute teacher and school playground supervisor and runs a fee-free martial arts club she founded, per the campaign site.
Dave Syverson
Dave Syverson is the incumbent state senator for the 35th District, per the official Illinois Senate website. No campaign website was found as of September 27, 2026.
Sarah B. Mertens (Democratic), Dave Syverson (Republican) meet on the November 3 ballot; Dave Syverson is the sitting member, per the General Assembly's roster. Party nominees were chosen at the March 17 primary (plurality, no runoffs); independent and new-party candidates qualified by petition. The field is the State Board of Elections' 2026 General Election candidate list (status Active, read September 7, 2026). This seat is elected by district; only the district covering your address appears on your ballot.
Full race pageIllinois Senate District 45Joseph H. "Joe" Berning (D) · Andrew S. Chesney (R)
Joseph H. "Joe" Berning
Joseph "Joe" Berning is a retired agricultural consultant who operated JB Consulting, advising farmers in northwestern Illinois and southwestern Wisconsin, per his campaign site. Born and raised on a dairy and hog farm north of Galena, he spent a 44-year career in sales, marketing and management, including as a district sales manager for a Fortune 500 agricultural feed company.
Andrew S. Chesney
Top priorities
From the campaign site
- Protecting your 2nd Amendment rights
- Property taxes
- Government consolidation
About Andrew S. Chesney
Per the campaign site, Andrew Chesney served as State Representative for the 89th District from 2018 to 2023 and has represented the 45th Senate District since November 2022. Andrew S. Chesney has represented the 45th Senate District since 2023 after serving as state representative for the 89th District from 2018 to 2023, per his ilga.gov profile. A small business owner from Carroll County, he graduated cum laude from Arizona State University and previously served on Freeport's city council.
Joseph H. "Joe" Berning (Democratic), Andrew S. Chesney (Republican) meet on the November 3 ballot; Andrew S. Chesney is the sitting member, per the General Assembly's roster. Party nominees were chosen at the March 17 primary (plurality, no runoffs); independent and new-party candidates qualified by petition. The field is the State Board of Elections' 2026 General Election candidate list (status Active, read September 7, 2026). This seat is elected by district; only the district covering your address appears on your ballot.
Full race pageIllinois House: 4 districtsDistricts 68, 69, 89, 90
Illinois House District 68Dave Vella (D) · Kathy Easton (R)
Dave Vella
Dave Vella is the Democratic candidate for Illinois House District 68 on the November 3, 2026 ballot, per the State Board of Elections' certified candidate list. Dave Vella is the sitting member, per the General Assembly's roster. Vella is the sitting state representative for the 68th District and a lifelong Rockford resident who practices law. He holds a B.A. from Augustana College and a J.D. from Northern Illinois University, per the General Assembly's roster. No campaign website was found as of September 7, 2026.
Kathy Easton
Top priorities
From the campaign site
- Property taxes and cost of living
- Government accountability and fiscal responsibility
- Community-focused governance and neighborhood safety
About Kathy Easton
Kathy Easton describes herself as a wife, mother, and grandmother who has owned a small business and been active as a community advocate and veteran supporter, per the campaign site.
Dave Vella (Democratic), Kathy Easton (Republican) meet on the November 3 ballot; Dave Vella is the sitting member, per the General Assembly's roster. Party nominees were chosen at the March 17 primary (plurality, no runoffs); independent and new-party candidates qualified by petition. The field is the State Board of Elections' 2026 General Election candidate list (status Active, read September 7, 2026). This seat is elected by district; only the district covering your address appears on your ballot.
Full race pageIllinois House District 69Peter Janko (D) · Joe C. Sosnowski (R)
Peter Janko
Top priorities
From the campaign site
- State-level healthcare access through the Illinois Care Initiative
- Expanding passenger rail to connect communities to jobs
- Historic preservation as community and economic development
About Peter Janko
Peter Janko is the Democratic candidate for Illinois House District 69 on the November 3, 2026 ballot, per the State Board of Elections' certified candidate list. Janko is a retired engineer and preservationist who worked as a telecommunications product designer at Motorola and later founded Lumenelle Lighting Design and Restoration, a historic preservation firm, per his campaign site. He also served as lead engineer on a $22 million Illinois State Toll Highway Authority infrastructure project. He is a Marengo resident and Democratic State Central Committeeman for Illinois's 11th Congressional District running against incumbent Rep. Joe Sosnowski.
Joe C. Sosnowski
Joe C. Sosnowski previously served as an alderman in DeKalb and Rockford and worked in institutional advancement for Rockford Christian Schools, per the Illinois General Assembly. He has represented the 69th District since 2011. No campaign website was found as of September 7, 2026.
Peter Janko (Democratic), Joe C. Sosnowski (Republican) meet on the November 3 ballot; Joe C. Sosnowski is the sitting member, per the General Assembly's roster. Party nominees were chosen at the March 17 primary (plurality, no runoffs); independent and new-party candidates qualified by petition. The field is the State Board of Elections' 2026 General Election candidate list (status Active, read September 7, 2026). This seat is elected by district; only the district covering your address appears on your ballot.
Full race pageIllinois House District 89Tony M. McCombie (R)
Unopposed: still on your ballot.
Tony M. McCombie
Top priorities
From the campaign site
- Restoring accountability
- Backing law enforcement
- Protecting Second Amendment rights
About Tony M. McCombie
McCombie owns a real estate appraisal company serving Illinois and Iowa and is a real estate broker, per the campaign site. McCombie is a former mayor of Savanna, Illinois, and was elected to the Illinois House in 2016, per the campaign site.
Tony M. McCombie (Republican) is the only candidate on the November 3 ballot; Tony M. McCombie is the sitting member, per the General Assembly's roster. Party nominees were chosen at the March 17 primary (plurality, no runoffs); independent and new-party candidates qualified by petition. The field is the State Board of Elections' 2026 General Election candidate list (status Active, read September 7, 2026). This seat is elected by district; only the district covering your address appears on your ballot.
Full race pageIllinois House District 90John M. Cabello (R)
Unopposed: still on your ballot.
John M. Cabello
Top priorities
From the campaign site
- Public safety and support for law enforcement
- Support for small businesses
About John M. Cabello
John M. Cabello, a Republican, is the sitting Illinois state representative for District 90 and serves as Assistant Minority Leader, per the Illinois House's official roster. He has served as a police officer for nearly three decades and was first appointed to the Illinois House in August 2012, per his campaign site.
John M. Cabello (Republican) is the only candidate on the November 3 ballot; John M. Cabello is the sitting member, per the General Assembly's roster. Party nominees were chosen at the March 17 primary (plurality, no runoffs); independent and new-party candidates qualified by petition. The field is the State Board of Elections' 2026 General Election candidate list (status Active, read September 7, 2026). This seat is elected by district; only the district covering your address appears on your ballot.
Full race pageVoting info and more
Voting info and more
Verify your ballot with the official election office.
Cross-check every race and candidate with the official election office. Official sources are the final word.
Illinois nominated by plurality at the March 17 primary (no runoffs); unopposed nominees still print, and independent and new-party candidates who filed petitions by June 22 join the November 3 ballot once the State Board of Elections rules on objections, per the Board's certified candidate list.
Who is on the ballot in Boone County, Illinois on November 3, 2026?
Boone County sample ballot 2026: see where the regional superintendent of schools, circuit court and illinois senate candidates stand on taxes and the budget. Every candidate profile on this page names the official filing or campaign source it came from.
When is the 2026 general election in Illinois?
Election Day is Tuesday, November 3, 2026. Registration deadlines, early voting dates and mail ballot rules for Illinois are listed on the Illinois election hub. Illinois election hub →
How do I see my exact Boone County ballot?
Enter your ZIP code in the lookup for the statewide and congressional races on every ballot in the county, or a full street address to add the county, city and district contests for that location. Look up your ballot →
Illinois statewide racesEvery Illinois race on this county's ballot.Ballot measures and judges131 tracked judges on the retention ballotIllinois judges131 tracked judges on the retention ballot