Voter turnout, incumbency advantages and more: 5 takeaways from primary election

Illinois voters have had their say in the 2024 primary, deciding Democratic and Republican candidates in local, state and national races before the November election.

Here are a few takeaways from Tuesday's election.

Low turnout

Polls were open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Tuesday and the scene at many of Sangamon County's polling places was tumbleweeds. Preliminary voter turnout in the county was 13.9%, which would be the lowest in county history dating back to 1998.

On Wednesday, Sangamon County Clerk Don Gray said a number of outstanding mail-in ballots would be trickling in over the next few days. How many ever are received, he projects, will have little impact on the finalized turnout.

"Based on historical trends, we don't expect a big number of change," he told The State Journal-Register.

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A large part in keeping turnout numbers down locally was a lack of contested races, where only the republican race for the 13th Congressional District and one county board seat were competitive.

President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump were joined with several other names on the ballot, but, having secured enough delegates to secure their parties' nominations before Tuesday, Illinois voters effectively played a non-existent role in deciding the Democratic and Republican presidential candidates.

The leading candidates won Illinois with little fanfare, Biden expected to add another 147 delegates to his count and Trump securing as many as 40 of the 51 state's Republican delegates.

Incumbency advantages

Name recognition often goes far in politics, races for the state's congressional seats case in point.

All 17 districts are up for election this year with all 14 democrat and three republican incumbents seeking re-election. The incumbents, many unopposed in the primary like U.S. Reps. Nikki Budzinski, D-Springfield, and Mary Miller, R-Oakland, won their primaries in every district.

Many eyes were on Illinois Congressional District 12 where failed gubernatorial candidate Darren Bailey attempted to unseat U.S. Rep. Mike Bost, R-Murphysboro. One of the closer races, The Associated Press projects Trump-endorsed Bost as the victor and should cruise to a November win in a deeply red district.

A quadruple of Democratic congressmen also staved off challenges including 82-year-old U.S. Rep. Danny Davis, D-Chicago, with endorsements from Gov. JB Pritzker and House Speaker Emanuel "Chris" Welch. Progressive U.S. Rep. Jesús "Chuy" Garcia, D-Chicago, defeated Chicago Ald. Raymond Lopez.

Write-in campaigns

Just because their name was not officially listed on the ballot didn't keep local candidates from trying to earn votes.

Several precinct committeemen candidates, along with two democrats running for county board and congressional seats waged write-in campaigns. Among them, Kevin Gaither needs 511 votes to become the Democratic candidate for Illinois Congressional District 15, a Republican stronghold spanning 33 counties in central and southeastern Illinois. Early county data finds he earned 14 votes.

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If he secures the needed votes, the Charleston native would take-on Miller in November. It's Gaither's third attempt at representing the district, coming off a 2018 lost to former U.S. Rep. John Shimkus, R-Collinsville, and a second-place finish in 2020 Democratic primary.

Former campaign manager for Sen. Doris Turner, D-Springfield, Dana Stoerger also ran as a write-in for Sangamon County Board District 9. The district encompasses parts of the east side out towards Rochester and is represented by Republican Tom Madonia.

Smooth sailing

Poll workers throughout the county were working with new tabulation equipment and new ADA compliant voting machines. Gray said the new equipment presented staff with no difficulties.

"It's awfully familiar to them because it's the same vendor," he said, reached mid-afternoon Tuesday. "Frankly, it's much more user friendly than what the former equipment had."

The real key, he said, is that it is an upgrade of equipment against security threats.

"It's a great investment," Gray said.

Sangamon County Board race

In the only contested race for Sangamon County Board, Colleen Lucas Cavanagh handily defeated Rosanne Pulido on the Republican side in District 12.

Lucas Cavanagh garnered 390 votes to Pulido's 89 votes, or an 81% to 19% advantage. She won nine of the 10 precincts covering the district, basically Springfield's historic west side, although there were no votes cast for either candidate in one precinct.

Lucas Cavanagh will face Democratic incumbent Marc Ayers in the Nov. 5 general election.

Contact Patrick M. Keck: 312-549-9340, pkeck@gannett.com, twitter.com/@pkeckreporter; Contact Steven Spearie: 217-622-1788; sspearie@sj-r.com; X, twitter.com/@StevenSpearie.

This article originally appeared on State Journal-Register: 2024 primary election: 5 takeaways for Illinois and Springfield area