Source: Bigstock

Source: Bigstock

Thirteen of 16 Opportunity Race candidates and nine of 12 Independent Expenditure candidates running for the Illinois House of Representatives and the State Senate captured victories Tuesday.

Get a summary of election results by Julie Sullivan, Assistant Director Legislative and Political Affairs, a map of Illinois House results, a map of Illinois Senate results and an updated version of our Vote, Act, Invest page.

Opportunity Race winners in the Illinois House included:

  • State Rep. Mike McAuliffe (20th District),
  • State Rep. Sheri Jesiel (61st),
  • REALTOR® State Rep. Sam Yingling (62nd),
  • Challenger Steve Reick (63rd),
  • Challenger REALTOR® Tony McCombie (71st),
  • State Rep. David Welter (75th),
  • State Rep. Avery Bourne (95th) and
  • State Rep. Dan Beiser (111th).

Opportunity Race candidates are those candidates in hotly contested races targeted for additional grassroots outreach efforts, in addition to direct contributions. The candidates were identified by local associations and by the RPAC Trustees as REALTOR® Champions for their support of businesses, private property rights, economic growth and low taxes.

In addition, the Independent Expenditures (IE) program allowed for the mailing of postcards to likely voters in Illinois House races urging their support for REALTOR®-friendly candidates. Independent Expenditure mailings were designed and distributed without any coordination with the candidates or their campaigns. The following Representatives received IE support in their winning effort:

  • McAuliffe,
  • Jesiel,
  • Yingling,
  • Reick,
  • McCombie and
  • Bourne.

Unfortunately, two of our Champions, State Rep. Dwight Kay (112th) and State Rep. John Bradley (117th) received support through Opportunity Races and Independent Expenditures but lost.

Senate

The following five State Senate candidates who received Opportunity Race support won:

  • State Sen. Tom Cullerton (23rd),
  • State Sen. Melinda Bush (31st),
  • State Sen. Sue Rezin (38th),
  • State Sen. Jennifer Bertino Tarrant (49th) and
  • Challenger Paul Schimpf (58th).

Independent Expenditures helped three of four candidates win:

  • Bush,
  • Rezin and
  • Schimpf.

State Sen. Gary Forby (59th) received both kinds of support but, unfortunately, was not successful in his reelection bid.

Federal

Of the five candidates supported by the NAR RPAC Trustees within Opportunity Races, three were winners:

  • U.S. Rep. Bill Foster (111th),
  • U.S. Rep. Cheri Bustos (117th) and
  • Raja Krishnamorrthi (open seat, 8th).

Two incumbents lost:

  • U.S. Sen. Mark Kirk and
  • U.S. Rep. Robert Dold.

Local races

The RPAC Trustees also approved Opportunity Race funding at the request of local associations in six races for county positions:

  • Jack Franks, McHenry County Board Chairman,
  • REALTOR® John Reinert, McHenry County Board,
  • Frank Haney, Winnebago County Board Chairman,
  • Tom Weigel, Will County Board,
  • Ray Tuminello, Will County Board and
  • REALTOR® Dan Patlak, Cook County Board of Review.

And five who received Independent Expenditure support won:

  • Aaron Lawlor, Lake County Board Chairman,
  • Don Moran, Will County Board,
  • Franks,
  • Reinert and
  • Haney.

Local referenda

REALTORS® also prevailed in the three home rule referenda where we urged a “no” vote. All three home rule referenda lost:

  • Auburn,
  • Westville and
  • Yorkville.

Get more details on these referenda, too.