Updated post-election results for local and federal races

Image courtesy of news.illinoisstate.edu

NORMAL, Ill. – As election season wraps up, final results are being released.

Millions of votes are still being counted, and it will be a while before official federal results are released, but the race has been called. Former President Donald J. Trump has been elected as the 47th president of the United States along with his running mate, J.D. Vance.

As of Nov 10, Trump has surpassed the 270 electoral votes needed to win with a projected 312 electoral votes. Additionally, Trump won the popular vote with 74,619,299 votes which is 50.3% of voters according to CNN.

The Democratic presidential candidate, vice president Kamala D. Harris, received a projected 226 electoral votes and a popular vote of 71,094,415 which is 48% of voters.

Trump has drastically improved his performance since the 2020 election in 48 states, both red and blue. Six out of seven battleground states including Georgia, Arizona, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin have resulted in a projected win for Trump.

Along with the presidency, republicans are projected to gain control of the United States Senate. In this election year, 23 democratic senate seats and 11 republican senate seats were up for election. Republicans needed 51 for control. They surpassed that with a projected 52 with three seats flipping parties leading to the Republican party gaining three seats, and the Democratic party losing three seats according to ABC News.

The race for the United States House of Representatives is still up in the air since a projection has not been called. Democrats will need to flip at least four Republican-held districts to win back the majority they lost in 2022.

214 Democratic representative seats and 221 Republican representative seats were up for election. As of now, seven Democratic seats have flipped to Republican and five Republican seats have flipped to Democratic resulting in a projection of the Republican party gaining two seats per ABC News.

Current Representative in Congress for Illinois 16th congressional district, Darin LaHood, won re-election. Per NBC News. LaHood ran unopposed with the Republican party.

In Illinois ‘s 17th congressional district, current representative in congress, Eric Sorensen won re-election with 54.2% of the vote, Per NBC News. Democratic candidate Sorensen ran opposed by Judge Joe McGraw with the Republican party.

Illinois’s statewide referendums consisted of three non-binding advisory questions meaning they do not guarantee legislation but help politicians gauge the public’s opinion on certain issues. One of these questions asked if civil penalties should be added for election interference. Another question proposed a 3% tax increase on income over $1 million a year for the purpose of property tax relief. The final question surrounded insurance companies’ coverage of fertility treatments.

Voters were overwhelmingly in favor of adding civil penalties for election interference with 89% voting yes, per NBC Chicago. Voters were a little more divided about the proposed 3% tax increase, but there is still clear majority support with 60% voting yes. 72% voted yes on the question surrounding insurance companies’ coverage of fertility treatments.

McLean County saw record breaking voter turnout across several polls this election year with a total of 86,541 ballots cast, per the McLean County Clerk and the City of Bloomington. 13,348 or about 15.4% of those ballots were cast by mail. 30,296 or about 35% of those ballots were cast early.

Democratic Senator Dave Koehler won re-election in Illinois ‘s 46th legislative district with 57.5% of the district vote and 60.2% of McLean Counties vote, per USA Today.

Republican Chris Balkema won state senate in Illinois‘s 53rd legislative district unopposed.

Republican Representative William Hauter won re-election in Illinois’s 87th representative district with 76.7% of the district vote and 75.5% of McLean Counties vote.

Republican Regan Deering won representative in the general assembly in Illinois’s 88th representative district unopposed.

Democrat Representative Sharon Chung won re-election in Illinois’s 91st representative district with 53.5% of the district vote and 60.3% of McLean Counties vote.

Republican Representative Dennis Tipsword won re-election in Illinois’s 105th representative district with 69.1% of the district vote and 59.8% of McLean Counties vote.

Republican Jason Bunting won representative in the general assembly in Illinois’s 106th representative district unopposed.

Republican McLean County circuit clerk Don Everhart won re-election unopposed.

Republican McLean County state’s attorney Erika Reynolds won re-election unopposed.

Republican McLean County auditor Michelle L. Anderson won re-election unopposed.

Republican Kathy Yoder won election for McLean County coroner unopposed.

Republican Adam Reeves won McLean County Board for District 1 unopposed.

Republican Mike O’Neil won McLean County Board District 2 with about 70.7% of the votes.

Republican Brian Loeffler won McLean County Board District 3 with about 64.1% of the votes.

Democrat Jim Rogal won McLean County Board District 4 with about 58.1% of the votes.

Democrat Elizabeth Johnston won McLean County Board District 5 with 75.9% of the votes.

Republican Randy Knapp won McLean County Board District 5 with 49.2% of the votes.

Democrat Alex Duffy won McLean County Board District 6 unopposed.

Democrat Val Laymon won McLean County Board District 7 with 52.5% of the votes.

Democrat Eric Hansen won McLean County Board District 8 with 64.3% of the votes.

Republican Susan Schafer won McLean County Board District 9 with 52.1% of the votes.

Republican Mark Clauss won McLean County Board District 10 with 53.6% of the votes.

Illinois’s supreme court judge for Illinois’s 4th judicial circuit, Lisa Holder White, won re-election unopposed.

Illinois’s appellate court judges for Illinois’s 4th judicial circuit, Amy Lannerd and Gene Doherty, won re-election unopposed.

Every Judge seeking retention in McLean County this election was retained. These judges include appellate Court Judge Robert J. Steigmann for judicial district 4 and circuit court judges Rebecca Simmons Foley and William A. Yoder for judicial district 11.

The McLean County referendums resulted in a majority vote for not eliminating the elected office of the county auditor with 55% voting no.

Nov 12 is the last day a voter who cast a provisional ballot can supply supporting information, and Nov 19 is the last day a voter whose vote-by-mail ballot was rejected can appeal their rejection.