If you were watching the Will County election results roll in during the late hours of November, you probably noticed something weird. The margins weren't just thin; they were microscopic. In a county that has spent the last decade shifting from a reliably "red" exurban stronghold to a "purple" battleground, the 2024 results felt like a tug-of-war where neither side actually moved.
Honestly, people keep trying to put Will County in a box. They want to say it’s a blue county now because of the Joliet population or that it’s still secretly red because of the rural townships. The truth is way more messy. You've got a population of nearly 700,000 people who are basically split down the middle on almost every major issue.
The Presidential Squeeze: Harris vs. Trump
In the top-of-the-ticket race, the numbers were startling. Kamala Harris managed to carry the county, but only by the skin of her teeth. She pulled in 50.1% of the vote compared to Donald Trump’s 48.5%.
Think about that for a second.
In 2020, Joe Biden won Will County by a much more comfortable margin. The "blue wall" in the suburbs didn't exactly crumble this time, but it definitely developed some cracks. Trump actually improved his standing here, picking up 157,672 votes. Harris finished with 162,874. When you’re talking about a county this size, a gap of about 5,000 votes is practically a rounding error. It shows that the "suburban shift" isn't a one-way street.
Local Power Shifts and the Will County Board
While everyone was obsessing over the White House, the real drama was happening at the local level. The Will County Board races are where the rubber meets the road—literally, since they handle the budget for roads, health, and safety.
The Democrats managed to hold onto several key countywide offices, but it wasn't a sweep.
- Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant (D) held her spot as County Executive, defeating Republican Charles Maher.
- Andrea Lynn Chasteen (D) won the Circuit Clerk race against Diane Harris.
- Laurie Summers (D) remained the Coroner, beating Robert Enright.
But look at the State's Attorney race. James W. Glasgow (D) ran unopposed. That’s a massive signal. In a year where every other race was a knife fight, one of the most powerful positions in the county didn't even have a challenger. It suggests that even in a polarized environment, certain figures have built up enough local "brand" to transcend the party-line bickering.
The Congressional Tug-of-War
Will County is split across several congressional districts, which makes the Will County election results feel like four different elections happening at once.
In the 14th Congressional District, Lauren Underwood (D) remains a powerhouse. She grabbed about 58.8% of the Will County portion of her district against James Marter. Underwood has basically perfected the art of the "moderate-sounding progressive" that appeals to the Naperville and Plainfield crowds.
Meanwhile, in the 1st District, Republican Marcus Lewis actually outperformed Jonathan Jackson within Will County borders, taking 62% of the local vote even though Jackson won the district overall (which includes parts of Chicago). This is the "Two Will Counties" phenomenon. The northern part of the county identifies with the tech-heavy, affluent suburbs of DuPage, while the southern and eastern parts feel much more like the industrial or rural Midwest.
Why Voter Turnout Felt Different This Time
We saw a record for early voting. About 120,000 people cast their ballots before Election Day even arrived. That’s 8,400 more than the 2020 "pandemic election," which is wild when you think about it.
Total turnout landed at roughly 75%.
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It’s high, but sort of a dip from the 78-80% some analysts were predicting based on the early surge. What happened? Basically, the "Election Day" crowd was slightly smaller than expected. People haven't stopped voting; they’ve just changed how they do it. The Will County Clerk's office, now led by Annette Parker, had to manage a massive shift in logistics. Speaking of Parker, her win in the Clerk's race was a significant pickup for the GOP, showing that voters are willing to split their tickets—voting for a Democrat for Executive but a Republican to run the elections.
Judicial Races: The Quiet Influence
Nobody talks about the judges until they need one. But the 12th Judicial Circuit Court races were incredibly tight.
- Jennifer M. Lynch (D) took the 2nd Subcircuit seat.
- Colette Safford (D) won a seat against Art Smigielski.
- Victoria Rose Breslan (D) ran unopposed for the 4th Subcircuit.
The judicial map is where the Democratic party in Will County has seen its most consistent growth. It’s less about "liberal vs. conservative" and more about the legal community's shifting demographics in Joliet and Bolingbrook.
The Surprising Reality of "Third Party" Votes
Everyone thought Robert F. Kennedy Jr. or the Libertarians might play spoiler. In the end? They were a footnote. RFK Jr. pulled about 1.35% of the vote. Jill Stein got 0.67%.
In a race decided by 1.6%, you could argue those votes mattered, but they didn't represent a mass exodus from the main parties. Will County voters, for all their diversity, are still very much tied to the two-party system. They sort of grumble about the options and then pick the "lesser of two evils" anyway.
What This Means for 2026
The 2024 Will County election results are basically a roadmap for the 2026 midterms. We already know the dates: the General Primary is March 17, 2026, and the General Election is November 3, 2026.
The GOP sees blood in the water. They look at the narrow 1.6% gap in the presidential race and think they can flip the county board. Democrats look at the same data and see a county that stayed blue despite a national "red shift."
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Actionable Insights for Will County Residents
- Check your registration now. If you moved to one of those new subdivisions in New Lenox or Manhattan, your polling place likely changed. The Will County Clerk website has a "precinct finder" that is actually decent.
- Watch the "Non-Partisan" races. In 2026, we’ll see more school board and municipal seats. These often have more impact on your property taxes than who sits in the White House.
- Follow the money. Will County's budget is nearly $700 million. The people winning these "boring" administrative races control where that goes.
The era of Will County being a "safe" bet for anyone is over. It’s a battleground. Every vote here actually does carry the weight that the campaign commercials claim it does. If you live here, you're living in the center of the political universe for Illinois.
Keep an eye on the candidate filing deadlines in late 2025. That’s when we’ll see if the 2026 races will be just as crowded and chaotic as this last round.
Next Steps for Voters:
- Verify your current voter registration status via the Will County Clerk's official portal.
- Review the 2026 election calendar to note the March 17th Primary deadline.
- Download the "Official Canvass" from the Clerk's site if you want to see exactly how your specific neighborhood voted.