Who is running for Illinois Senate District 12 in 2026?

Illinois Senate District 12: 2026 Candidates & Ballot

One candidate is tracked for Illinois Senate District 12 on the November 3, 2026 ballot: Celina Villanueva. Candidate information follows official Cook County election filings; verify with the official election office linked below.

Celina Villanueva (Democratic) is the only candidate on the November 3 ballot; Celina Villanueva 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.

Celina Villanueva

Democratic · Incumbent

Celina Villanueva is the Democratic candidate for Illinois Senate District 12 on the November 3, 2026 ballot, per the State Board of Elections' certified candidate list. Celina Villanueva is the sitting member, per the General Assembly's roster. Villanueva is a full-time legislator and community organizer who previously worked as Civic & Youth Engagement Manager at the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights, per her ilga.gov legislative profile. She served in the Illinois House in 2019 and 2020 before moving to the Senate, where she has represented the 12th District since 2020 and chairs the Revenue Committee. She holds a Latino/a Studies degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. No campaign website or questionnaire response was found as of September 7, 2026.