Bean Leads Race for Illinois House Seat
Melissa Bean is projected to win the Illinois House seat vacated by Raja Krishnamoorthi, according to early returns.
Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in Elections
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Melissa Bean led Jennifer Davis 66.6 percent to 33.5 percent with 24 percent of the vote reported, Decision Desk HQ said. The seat was left open by Raja Krishnamoorthi, and Bean is projected to return to Capitol Hill.
Why it matters
Bean previously represented an iteration of the Chicago-area 8th District and lost a bid for a fourth House term in 2010, which she attributed to her continued defense of the Affordable Care Act. Her projected win returns a former member to Congress for the open Illinois seat.
Early returns show Bean with 66.6 percent of the vote against Davis's 33.5 percent, based on 24 percent of ballots counted as of 8:46 p.m. Tuesday. The final tally has not been reported, and the margin could change as more votes are counted.
The players
Melissa Bean
Bean is a former U.S. Representative who previously worked at JPMorgan Chase and Mesirow Financial after leaving Congress.
Raja Krishnamoorthi
Krishnamoorthi is an Illinois Democrat who vacated the House seat after unsuccessfully running for the U.S. Senate.
Decision Desk HQ
Decision Desk HQ is a national election results and analysis organization that reported the early returns and the projection.
The details
Bean competed in a crowded Democratic primary in March against seven other candidates, winning by around 4,000 votes over Junaid Ahmed. Her primary campaign was backed by Elect Chicago Women, and she was endorsed by Sen. Tammy Duckworth, Nancy Pelosi and Jesse White.
Timeline
2010: Bean lost her bid for a fourth House term.
March: Democratic primary held with eight candidates.
Tuesday, 8:46 p.m.: Decision Desk HQ reported 24 percent of the vote.
Political Context
Bean's 2010 loss came after she defended the Affordable Care Act, the health reform law that became a central point of contention in that cycle. Her return to Congress marks a comeback from that defeat for a former member of the Chicago-area 8th District delegation.
Illinois voters in the 8th District are seeing a shift in their congressional representation as Bean's projected win restores a former member to the seat. The result will shape the district's federal representation once the count is finalized.
The takeaway
Bean's projected return shows that a candidate can recover from a prior defeat when returning to a seat in a crowded field. Readers tracking Illinois House races should watch for certified results as the remaining votes are reported.
Further reading
For more on the state's contests, see Elections coverage across Illinois.
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