Incumbents Win Rockford-Area Illinois Legislative Races
Three incumbents secured reelection to state House and Senate seats, while the 35th District Senate race remains too close to call.
Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in Elections
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Incumbent Republican state Sen. Dave Syverson leads Democratic challenger Sarah Mertens by about 500 votes on Election Night in a tight 35th District race. Incumbents Dave Vella, Joe Sosnowski and Andrew Chesney won reelection in their respective contests.
Why it matters
The results determine representation for Rockford-area voters in the Illinois General Assembly. Because results remain unofficial for two weeks while mail-in ballots are counted, the outcome of the closest contest is not yet settled.
Election Night tallies show a margin of about 500 votes in the 35th District Senate race between Syverson and Mertens. Results remain unofficial for two weeks while mail-in ballots postmarked by Nov. 3 are counted.
The players
Dave Syverson
Republican Illinois state senator seeking to hold the 35th District seat against a close challenge.
Sarah Mertens
Democratic challenger in the tight 35th District Senate race against incumbent Dave Syverson.
The details
Incumbent state Rep. Dave Vella defeated Republican Kathy Easton for a fourth two-year term, and state Rep. Joe Sosnowski defeated Democrat Peter Janko for a ninth. Sen. Andrew Chesney, a Republican who was previously a state representative for four years, won reelection over Joe Berning, while state Rep. Maurice West was uncontested.
Timeline
January 2011: Sosnowski began serving in the state House.
2022: Chesney began holding the 35th District Senate seat.
Nov. 3: Deadline for mail-in ballot postmarks.
Two weeks after Election Night: Results become official.
Season Trajectory
The two-week wait for official results follows Illinois's mail-in ballot counting rules, which allow ballots postmarked by Election Day to arrive afterward. Close races like the 35th District contest are therefore often not settled on Election Night.
Voters in the 35th District should expect the Syverson-Mertens result to remain uncertain until mail-in ballots are tallied. The outcome will determine which party holds the seat for the coming term.
The takeaway
Close legislative races can take weeks to resolve, so readers should watch for official results before drawing conclusions about the 35th District contest.
What happens next
Official results for the Illinois House and Senate races are expected two weeks after Election Night, once mail-in ballots are counted.
Further reading
For more on how these contests are shaping up, see Elections coverage for Rockford.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Rock River Current - Illinois - Wisconsin.
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