Eric Sorensen

In the 2024 House race for IL-17, Eric Sorensen (D) defeated Joe McGraw (R) 54.4% to 45.6%. Eric Sorensen received 170,261 votes compared to 142,567 for Joe McGraw, a 8.9-point margin that indicates a genuinely contested race.

As the incumbent, Eric Sorensen benefited from name recognition, established constituent services, and the roughly 2-3 point advantage that sitting members typically enjoy. The 2024 presidential election drove higher voter turnout, which can help or hurt down-ballot candidates depending on the top of the ticket. This seat will likely stay on party watch lists as potentially competitive in future cycles.

In the 2022 House race for IL-17, Eric Sorensen (D) won with 52.0% of the vote, defeating Esther Joy King (R) who received 48.0%. A third candidate also appeared on the ballot. The 4.0-point margin made this one of the more competitive races of the cycle.

This was an open-seat race with no incumbent running — Cheri Bustos (D) previously held the seat. Open seats typically attract stronger candidates and heavier spending from both parties. As a Democrat, Eric Sorensen won despite the historical midterm penalty against the president's party (Democrat Biden was in office). This seat will likely stay on party watch lists as potentially competitive in future cycles.