Evanston residents will help pick a new state senator Tuesday, Nov. 3, when Democrat Patrick Hanley faces Republican Tom Lally for the open Illinois Senate District 9 seat in Springfield.

Incumbent Laura Fine, a Glenview Democrat who has represented the district since 2019, is not seeking reelection. She instead ran for the 9th Congressional District seat. Hanley and Lally are competing to succeed her.

Polls open at 6 a.m. and close at 7 p.m. under Illinois law, according to NBC Chicago's voter guide.

The candidates

Hanley, a Winnetka resident, is a small business owner and president of the New Trier Democrats. He won the March 17 Democratic primary over Rachel Ruttenberg with 51.6% of the vote, the RoundTable reported.

Before entering the race, Hanley worked for U.S. senators and the U.S. Department of Justice in Washington, D.C. He co-founded Operation Swing State in 2024, which mobilized 10,000 Illinois volunteers to knock on doors in Michigan and Wisconsin, according to the RoundTable. He holds master's degrees in public policy and business administration from the University of Chicago, according to a Chicago Sun-Times candidate questionnaire. U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky endorsed his campaign.

Lally, a retired insurance and sales worker from Glenview, ran unopposed for the Republican nomination, receiving 3,766 votes on March 17, according to Ballotpedia. He stated he was approached by the Illinois District 9 Republican Organization to represent the party, according to a post on another candidate's website.

As of late October, Lally did not have a campaign committee or website, the RoundTable reported. He wrote in a post on another candidate's site that he decided to run after hearing Hanley call President Donald Trump a fascist, calling it "so off handed and flippant, I felt I had to take a stand."

Where they differ

The Journal & Topics reported the two candidates offer contrasting views on taxes and policy. On his campaign website, Hanley said he supports a progressive income tax and investing in public education, healthcare and clean energy. Lally has called for freezing taxes, reducing state spending and assisting the private sector to bring business to Illinois.

The district

Senate District 9 spans northern Cook County. It includes all or portions of Evanston, Skokie, Wilmette, Winnetka, Glencoe, Glenview, Golf, Kenilworth, Morton Grove, Niles, Northbrook and Northfield, along with part of Chicago, according to Patch. The Cook County Clerk's election night portal lists 141 precincts and 158,143 registered voters for the race.

Where to find results

Suburban Cook County results will appear on the Cook County Clerk's election night site at electionnight.cookcountyclerkil.gov. Chicago precinct results are available separately at chicagoelections.com. Early voting in suburban Cook County is running 30% ahead of the 2022 gubernatorial election, according to the Cook County Clerk's office.