The Ballot Brief
Cook County, Illinois

Illinois House District 39

2 candidates are tracked for Illinois House District 39 on the November 3, 2026 ballot: Will Guzzardi and Cesar A. Guillen. Candidate information follows official Cook County election filings; verify with the official election office linked below.

About this race

Will Guzzardi (Democratic), Cesar A. Guillen (Republican) meet on the November 3 ballot; Will Guzzardi 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.

What this office does

State legislator. State legislators write and vote on state laws and the state budget, which fund schools, roads, prisons, universities and health programs, and set the rules for local governments and elections. Each member represents one district and serves on committees that shape bills before a floor vote. Terms are two years in most state houses and four in most state senates.

This race. Elected by district: only voters who live in the district see this race on their ballot. The sitting officeholder, Will Guzzardi, is on the ballot.

Illinois › Cook County › Illinois House District 39

Will Guzzardi

Will Guzzardi

Democratic Incumbent

Top priorities
  • An education funding formula that directs more money to low-income school districts
  • Opposes using public dollars for private-school vouchers or scholarship tax credits
  • Reducing reliance on standardized testing

Per the campaign site.

Biography

Will Guzzardi, a Democrat, is the sitting Illinois state representative for District 39, first elected in 2014, per the Illinois House's official roster. He attended Brown University, earning a degree in comparative literature, and is originally from Chapel Hill, North Carolina, per his campaign site. Guzzardi has lived in Chicago's Logan Square neighborhood since attending university and previously taught after-school programs and tutored children, per his campaign site.

Cesar A. Guillen

Republican

Biography

Cesar A. Guillen is the Republican candidate for Illinois House District 39 on the November 3, 2026 ballot, per the State Board of Elections' certified candidate list. No campaign website was found as of September 7, 2026.

Next on your ballotIllinois House District 40

See your full ballot

Your address is only used to match your districts.

Voting info and more

Voting info and more
Questions about this race

Who is running for Illinois House District 39 in 2026?

2 candidates are tracked for Illinois House District 39 on the November 3, 2026 ballot: Will Guzzardi and Cesar A. Guillen. Candidate information follows official Cook County election filings; verify with the official election office linked below.

When is the Illinois House District 39 election in Illinois?

Election Day is Tuesday, November 3, 2026. Registration deadlines, early voting dates and mail ballot rules for Illinois are on the Illinois election hub at theballotbrief.com.

How do I see my exact Cook County ballot?

Enter your ZIP code in the lookup at theballotbrief.com for the statewide and congressional races, or a full street address to add the county, city and district contests for that location.

Verify this race

Candidate roster from official Cook County and state election office filings, last verified September 27, 2026. Bios and priorities carry their attribution inline.

Cross-check with the official Illinois election office, or see the full Cook County sample ballot and your exact ballot by address.

The rest of your Cook County ballot

135 tracked races in Cook County, Illinois. Landed here from another county's search? Look up your own ballot below.

Also on your ballot
Illinois House District 43Illinois House District 44Illinois House District 45See all 135 Cook County races
Candidate profiles
Will Guzzardi, full profileCesar A. Guillen, full profileOfficial Illinois election office