Illinois Attorney General Election Results 2026: Raoul Vs. Fioretti [Live Updates]

ILLINOIS — Democratic Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul faced Republican challenger Bob Fioretti in Tuesday's general election as voters decided who will serve as the state's chief legal officer for the next four years.

Polls have now closed across Illinois, and votes are being tallied. Patch will provide the latest election results as they become available.

Here is a look at the results as of 7:10 p.m., with less than 1 percent of the total votes tallied:

• Kwame Raoul (D): 8,871, 71%
• Bob Fioretti (R):3,652, 29%

The contest pitted a two-term incumbent whose tenure has included legal challenges to federal policies and consumer protection initiatives against a former Chicago alderman who campaigned on public safety, government accountability and changing the priorities of the attorney general's office.

Raoul, who was first elected attorney general in 2018, sought another four-year term after serving as Illinois' top legal officer since January 2019. Fioretti, a longtime attorney who represented Chicago's 2nd Ward on the City Council from 2007 to 2015, argued the office should place greater emphasis on prosecuting violent crime and investigating government corruption.

Raoul's Record As Attorney General

Raoul, a former Cook County prosecutor and Illinois state senator, was first elected attorney general in 2018, succeeding Lisa Madigan, who did not seek reelection.

He won a second term in 2022 and entered the 2026 election seeking to continue his work involving consumer protection, civil rights, public safety and legal challenges to federal government actions. A Chicago native and the son of Haitian immigrants, Raoul previously spent 14 years in the Illinois Senate, where he worked on criminal justice legislation and other policy issues.

According to his official biography, Raoul began his legal career as a Cook County prosecutor before working at national law firms and entering the state legislature.

As attorney general, Raoul established Illinois' Organized Retail Crime Task Force, an initiative intended to coordinate investigations involving organized theft and retail crime networks. His office also oversees the Illinois Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, which works with law enforcement agencies to investigate online child exploitation.

Raoul's tenure has included numerous lawsuits involving the federal government, including challenges related to funding restrictions, public health programs and immigration policies.

According to an October report by Capitol News Illinois, his office had been involved in roughly 90 legal disputes with the Trump administration during the preceding two years. His office said the legal challenges helped Illinois maintain access to more than $8 billion in federal funding that otherwise could have been withheld, according to Capitol News Illinois.

During the campaign, Raoul also identified attorney retention and additional resources for his office as priorities if elected to another term. He said those concerns had become particularly important after state lawmakers reduced the office's budget by $10 million, according to Capitol News Illinois.

Fioretti Campaigned On Crime, Corruption

Fioretti, a former Democrat who ran as a Republican, brought decades of legal and political experience to the contest.

A civil rights attorney with approximately 40 years of experience, Fioretti served two terms representing Chicago's 2nd Ward before leaving the City Council in 2015. He subsequently sought several other public offices, including Chicago mayor, Cook County Board president and Cook County state's attorney.

In an October questionnaire submitted to Patch, Fioretti identified crime as the most pressing issue facing Illinois within the attorney general's authority.

He criticized the state's SAFE-T Act, calling the law "a disaster" and arguing that it treats violent offenders too leniently.

Fioretti said his three leading priorities would be changing the SAFE-T Act, cooperating with the federal government to remove immigrants in the country illegally who have committed violent crimes, and expanding the use of statewide grand juries to investigate public corruption.

He also criticized what he characterized as inadequate enforcement of Illinois' Freedom of Information Act and Open Meetings Act.

"There is still a lot of public corruption that flies under the radar," Fioretti told Patch.

Fioretti argued the attorney general should operate more independently of the governor and other elected officials.

"I will be the people's lawyer, not the Governor's," he said in his questionnaire, criticizing what he described as Raoul's relationship with Gov. JB Pritzker.

Fioretti also pointed to his record on the Chicago City Council, saying he voted against six of eight city budgets and refused campaign contributions from developers with zoning matters in his ward.

He said his approach to public service emphasized treating residents equally regardless of their backgrounds or political affiliations.

What The Attorney General Does

The Illinois attorney general serves as the state's chief legal officer, representing the public interest in a wide range of legal matters.

The office handles consumer fraud complaints, civil rights enforcement, litigation involving state government and investigations conducted in cooperation with law enforcement agencies. It also provides services to crime victims and participates in efforts to protect children, workers and consumers.

According to the Illinois Attorney General's Office, its responsibilities include advocating for Illinois residents, working with lawmakers on legislation and bringing legal actions to enforce state laws.

The attorney general serves a four-year term, with the next term beginning in January 2027.

Election results are unofficial until certified by election authorities. This story will be updated as additional results become available.