Democrats Flip Illinois Senate Seat in Metro-East
Marsie Geldert-Murphey defeats state Sen. Erica Harriss in the 56th District while George McClellan Jr. leads in a close House race.
Updated on Nov. 9, 2026 in Elections
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Democrat Marsie Geldert-Murphey defeated state Sen. Erica Harriss by 5 percentage points for the 56th District Illinois Senate seat. In the 114th House District, George McClellan Jr. led incumbent Kevin Schmidt by 1.5 percentage points with 96% of the vote counted.
Why it matters
The results shift representation in the metro-east region, where Democrats flipped Senate seats in Illinois. Geldert-Murphey said her victory signals voter frustration with rising gas prices and healthcare costs.
Geldert-Murphey won the 56th District Senate seat by 5 percentage points over Harriss, while McClellan led Schmidt by 1.5 percentage points in the 114th District with 96% of votes counted. Mail-in ballots remain uncounted, and St. Clair County will not certify results until December.
The players
Marsie Geldert-Murphey
A civil engineer and first-time state legislature candidate who won the 56th District Illinois Senate seat.
Erica Harriss
A Republican state senator who served one term in the 56th District and sat on the Senate Health and Human Services Appropriations Committee.
George McClellan Jr.
A former assistant chief for the East St. Louis Fire Department and retired nurse leading the 114th House District race.
Kevin Schmidt
The incumbent state representative for the 114th District who has served two terms and ran unsuccessfully in the 116th District in 2020.
Thomas Holbrook
The St. Clair County Clerk who expects McClellan to win once mail-in ballots are counted.
The details
Geldert-Murphey, a civil engineer and first-time state legislature candidate, ran on affordability and infrastructure investment. Mail-in ballots usually lean Democratic, and St. Clair County Clerk Thomas Holbrook expects McClellan to win once counting is complete.
Timeline
Election day was November 3, 2026.
St. Clair County expects to certify official results in December 2026.
Season Trajectory
The Democratic flip of the 56th District seat adds to a pattern of Illinois Senate gains in the 2026 cycle, particularly across the metro-east. The narrow House race shows the margin of competition remains tight even in districts with incumbents.
The outcome determines which lawmakers represent these districts in Springfield and affects the policy priorities they will pursue. Residents in the 56th and 114th districts will see new representation once results are certified.
The takeaway
Close races can hinge on late-counted ballots, so checking official county certification is the surest way to confirm final results. Residents interested in these districts can follow updates from the St. Clair County Clerk's office.
What happens next
St. Clair County will finish counting mail-in ballots and provisional ballots within the 14-day window, with official certification expected in December 2026.
Further reading
For more on how these races fit into the broader political landscape, explore Illinois Elections coverage.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Belleville News-Democrat.
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