Illinois › Kankakee County › Illinois Senate District 17
2 candidates are tracked for Illinois Senate District 17 on the November 3, 2026 ballot: Jr., Elgie R. Sims and Frederick L. Walls. Candidate information follows official Kankakee County election filings; verify with the official election office linked below.
Jr., Elgie R. Sims (Democratic), Frederick L. Walls (Republican) meet on the November 3 ballot; Jr., Elgie R. Sims 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.
Democratic · Incumbent
Elgie R. Sims Jr. is an attorney who previously served in the Illinois House from 2012 to 2018, per the Illinois General Assembly. He has represented the 17th District in the Senate since 2018 and serves as Majority Caucus Appropriations Leader, per the same source. No campaign website or questionnaire response was found as of September 7, 2026.
Republican
Frederick L. Walls is the Republican candidate for Illinois Senate District 17 on the November 3, 2026 ballot, per the State Board of Elections' certified candidate list. No campaign website or questionnaire response was found as of September 7, 2026.