illinois 6th district

The 6th Congressional District primaries are races to watch for multiple reasons: it’s the only district in the state where two Democratic incumbents are running against one another in the newly redistricted map, and it will likely be among the more competitive races in the state in the general election this fall.

When Congressional maps get redrawn following the United States’ Census, oftentimes incumbent members of Congress are forced to face-off, and in Illinois’ 6th District, two Democrats are squaring off in a primary to determine their futures in the legislative body.

Rep. Sean Casten, the first Democrat to represent Illinois’ 6th Congressional District in decades, won a second term after his Republican opponent conceded the race early Wednesday.

In 2018, Rep. Sean Casten turned the 6th Congressional District blue for the first time in decades. Now, the freshman Democrat looks to defend his seat from a challenge by two candidates: Republican Jeanne Ives and Libertarian Bill Redpath, the former quite a familiar face in Illinois politics.

Here’s a look at nine of the biggest races you should be watching across Illinois in the 2020 general election.