Bureau County Sample Ballot & Voter Guide 2026
11 candidates are on the November 3, 2026 ballot across 7 Bureau County races, led by the Illinois Senate District 38 contest.
School board
Regional Superintendent of Schools (Regional Office of Education #28)Kathy Marshall (R)
Unopposed: still on your ballot.
Kathy Marshall Republican
Kathy Marshall is the Regional Superintendent of Schools for the Bureau, Henry and Stark counties Regional Office of Education (#28), after previously serving as assistant regional superintendent there since July 2015, per Shaw Local. She earlier worked as a sixth-grade teacher in Peoria and as a principal in Metamora, per Shaw Local. No campaign website was found as of September 25, 2026.
Kathy Marshall is unopposed on the November 3, 2026 ballot for Regional Superintendent of Schools, Regional Office of Education #28 (Bureau, Henry and Stark counties), per the Illinois State Board of Elections' certified 2026 general election candidate list. Illinois elects a regional superintendent countywide across the whole region every four years. The name still appears on the ballot; the race is uncontested.
Full race pageJudges
Circuit Court, 13th Judicial Circuit, Vacancy of Hon. RaccugliaMelissa Olivero (D) · Michelle A. Vescogni (R)
Melissa Olivero Democratic
Melissa Olivero is a Peru attorney and retired U.S. Administrative Law Judge who served on the National Labor Relations Board and Social Security Administration from 2011 to 2025, per her 2026 Shaw Local questionnaire. Per her campaign site, she is a former LaSalle County Assistant State's Attorney, an Army military police veteran, and served ten years on the Illinois Valley Community College Board of Trustees, including four as chair.
Michelle A. Vescogni Republican
No campaign website was found as of September 25, 2026.
Melissa Olivero and Michelle A. Vescogni are on the November 3, 2026 ballot to fill a vacancy on the 13th Judicial Circuit Court (the seat vacated by the Hon. Raccuglia). The 13th Judicial Circuit covers Bureau, Grundy and LaSalle counties; every voter there votes on this seat. Illinois circuit judgeships are decided in contested partisan elections, unlike judicial retention questions. Listed from the Illinois State Board of Elections' certified 2026 general election candidate list.
Full race pageBy address
These seats are elected by district; only the district covering your address is on your ballot.
Bureau County is split across 5 Illinois Senate and House districts.
Find your districts by addressIllinois Senate: 2 districtsDistricts 38, 53
Illinois Senate District 38Ernie R. Marcelain (D) · Sue Rezin (R)
Ernie R. Marcelain Democratic
- Wants to address affordability of energy, taxes, and the general cost of living
- Supports improving healthcare accessibility and affordability
- Wants to support small business survival and growth
Per the Shaw Local (Kendall County Now) questionnaire.
About Ernie R. Marcelain
Ernie R. Marcelain works as a manager at a small family-owned printing company and is from Yorkville, per his 2026 Shaw Local candidate questionnaire. He is a former union member and firefighter/EMT who attended Waubonsee Community College for business, per the same source. Marcelain is the Democratic nominee for Illinois Senate District 38 on the November 3, 2026 ballot.
Sue Rezin Republican Incumbent
Sue Rezin is the incumbent state senator for the 38th District, per the official Illinois Senate website. No campaign website was found as of September 27, 2026.
Ernie R. Marcelain (Democratic), Sue Rezin (Republican) meet on the November 3 ballot; Sue Rezin is the sitting member, per the General Assembly's roster. Party nominees were chosen at the March 17 primary (plurality, no runoffs); independent and new-party candidates qualified by petition. The field is the State Board of Elections' 2026 General Election candidate list (status Active, read September 7, 2026). This seat is elected by district; only the district covering your address appears on your ballot.
Full race pageIllinois Senate District 53Chris Balkema (R)
Unopposed: still on your ballot.
Chris Balkema Republican Incumbent
- Address illegal immigration and declared Grundy County a non-sanctuary county
- Protect the unborn at all stages
- Pursue new funding mechanisms to relieve property tax burdens, citing four consecutive years of reduced Grundy County property taxes
Per the campaign site.
About Chris Balkema
Balkema spent 30 years in the private sector at Caterpillar and served 13 years on the Grundy County Board, including six years as chairman, per the campaign site.
Chris Balkema (Republican) is the only candidate on the November 3 ballot; Chris Balkema is the sitting member, per the General Assembly's roster. Party nominees were chosen at the March 17 primary (plurality, no runoffs); independent and new-party candidates qualified by petition. The field is the State Board of Elections' 2026 General Election candidate list (status Active, read September 7, 2026). This seat is elected by district; only the district covering your address appears on your ballot.
Full race pageIllinois House: 3 districtsDistricts 73, 76, 105
Illinois House District 73Nicole Dopler (D) · Ryan Spain (R)
Nicole Dopler Democratic
- Wants to protect access to Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security
- Supports lowering utility costs for residents
Per the campaign site.
About Nicole Dopler
Nicole Dopler has worked in the medical field since 1996 and is a mother of five, per her campaign site. She is a lifelong Illinois resident from a union family who graduated from Riverdale Senior High and received an associate's degree from Black Hawk College, per OurQuadCities. Dopler is the Democratic nominee for Illinois House District 73 on the November 3, 2026 ballot.
Ryan Spain Republican Incumbent
Ryan Spain is a Bronze Tablet Scholar graduate of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign with an MBA from Bradley University, per his Illinois House of Representatives biography. He is a former Peoria City Council member and board member for the Peoria Downtown Development Corporation and Greater Peoria Economic Development Council, per the same source. Spain serves as Deputy Minority Leader in the Illinois House. No campaign website was found as of September 20, 2026.
Nicole Dopler (Democratic), Ryan Spain (Republican) meet on the November 3 ballot; Ryan Spain is the sitting member, per the General Assembly's roster. Party nominees were chosen at the March 17 primary (plurality, no runoffs); independent and new-party candidates qualified by petition. The field is the State Board of Elections' 2026 General Election candidate list (status Active, read September 7, 2026). This seat is elected by district; only the district covering your address appears on your ballot.
Full race pageIllinois House District 76Amy "Murri" Briel (D) · Liz Bishop (R)
Amy "Murri" Briel Democratic Incumbent
Amy "Murri" Briel was born and raised in La Salle County and is a full-time legislator, per her Illinois House of Representatives biography. She previously served as Chief of Staff for former state representative Lance Yednock and as a caseworker for survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault, per the same source. Briel lives on her family farm in Ottawa with her husband and three children. No campaign website was found as of September 20, 2026.
Liz Bishop Republican
- Wants to reduce state spending and lower the cost of living in Illinois
- Supports law enforcement and victims' rights
- Wants to address rural healthcare access after nearby hospital closures and service reductions
Per the Shaw Local (Illinois Valley) questionnaire.
About Liz Bishop
Liz Bishop is retired and formerly worked in banking and finance, per her 2026 Shaw Local candidate questionnaire. She has served as La Salle City Clerk since 2025 and previously as Precinct Committeeman and Deputy State Central Committeeman, and holds a B.A. in English literature from Carleton College, per the same source. Bishop is the Republican nominee for Illinois House District 76 on the November 3, 2026 ballot.
Amy "Murri" Briel (Democratic), Liz Bishop (Republican) meet on the November 3 ballot; Amy "Murri" Briel is the sitting member, per the General Assembly's roster. Party nominees were chosen at the March 17 primary (plurality, no runoffs); independent and new-party candidates qualified by petition. The field is the State Board of Elections' 2026 General Election candidate list (status Active, read September 7, 2026). This seat is elected by district; only the district covering your address appears on your ballot.
Full race pageIllinois House District 105Tim Ruestman (R)
Unopposed: still on your ballot.
Tim Ruestman Republican
- Supports preserving Illinois farmland
- Backs legislation to roll back the SAFE-T Act and supports law enforcement
- Wants to reduce regulation on small businesses and prioritize balanced state budgets
Per the campaign site.
About Tim Ruestman
Tim Ruestman has served as Woodford County Coroner for more than 30 years and is chairman of the Woodford County Republican Central Committee, per his campaign site. He entered the race after state Rep. Dennis Tipsword decided not to seek re-election to the seat and instead ran for Woodford County sheriff, per WGLT. Ruestman is the Republican nominee for Illinois House District 105 on the November 3, 2026 ballot.
Tim Ruestman (Republican) is the only candidate on the November 3 ballot. The seat is open: Rep. Dennis Tipsword (Republican), the sitting member per the General Assembly's roster, is not on the November ballot. Party nominees were chosen at the March 17 primary (plurality, no runoffs); independent and new-party candidates qualified by petition. The field is the State Board of Elections' 2026 General Election candidate list (status Active, read September 7, 2026). This seat is elected by district; only the district covering your address appears on your ballot.
Full race pageSee your full ballot
Voting info and more
Voting info and more
Verify your ballot with the official election office.
Cross-check every race and candidate with the official election office. Official sources are the final word.
Illinois nominated by plurality at the March 17 primary (no runoffs); unopposed nominees still print, and independent and new-party candidates who filed petitions by June 22 join the November 3 ballot once the State Board of Elections rules on objections, per the Board's certified candidate list.
Who is on the ballot in Bureau County, Illinois on November 3, 2026?
Bureau County sample ballot 2026: see where the circuit court, regional superintendent of schools and illinois senate candidates stand on taxes and jobs. Every candidate profile on this page names the official filing or campaign source it came from.
When is the 2026 general election in Illinois?
Election Day is Tuesday, November 3, 2026. Registration deadlines, early voting dates and mail ballot rules for Illinois are listed on the Illinois election hub. Illinois election hub →
How do I see my exact Bureau County ballot?
Enter your ZIP code in the lookup for the statewide and congressional races on every ballot in the county, or a full street address to add the county, city and district contests for that location. Look up your ballot →