Lake Forest and Lake Bluff voters will choose their state senator on Tuesday, Nov. 3, when Democratic incumbent Julie Morrison faces Republican challenger Kate McGrath for the Illinois 29th Senate District seat.
Polls open at 6 a.m. and close at 7 p.m. Anyone in line by 7 p.m. will be allowed to vote, according to the Chicago Tribune's voter guide.
Who's on the ballot
Morrison, 69, of Lake Forest, was first elected to the state Senate in 2012, the Tribune reported. She spent 15 years as the West Deerfield Township supervisor before going to Springfield. She serves as majority whip in the Senate Democratic Caucus.
McGrath, 51, of Deerfield, is a longtime independent insurance agent making her first run for public office. She announced her candidacy in July 2025 after representatives of the Republican Senate Victory Fund approached her about running, the Tribune reported.
Where they stand
Property taxes and affordability dominate the race.
McGrath said she would start with the state budget, which she said has increased by nearly $20 billion in the past seven years. She called for a stronger business climate and keeping companies in Illinois.
"I would take a look at where every penny is going," McGrath told the Tribune. "The budget needs to be blown up."
Morrison said affordability goes beyond property tax changes like expanding exemptions, calling it a "systemic issue that requires a comprehensive approach." She said she wants to explore property-tax "circuit breaker" proposals that would help income-qualified homeowners facing large tax increases.
On public safety, McGrath called the state's SAFE-T Act a "disaster" for eliminating cash bail. Morrison identified artificial intelligence regulation as a priority, saying the federal government is not acting quickly enough.
The district
The 29th District consists of 15 municipalities bordered by Naval Station Great Lakes to the north, Wilmette to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, and Buffalo Grove and Des Plaines to the west, according to the Tribune.
How to get results
Unofficial results will be reported after 7 p.m. on the Lake County election results page. The Lake County Clerk's office will also provide vote counts by phone at (847) 377-2410 starting at 8 p.m. on election night.
Results remain unofficial until provisional and late-arriving vote-by-mail ballots are counted 14 days after the election, according to the county clerk's website.
