Knox County Sample Ballot & Voter Guide 2026
11 candidates are on the November 3, 2026 ballot across 8 Knox County races, led by the Illinois Senate District 36 contest.
School board
Regional Superintendent of Schools (Regional Office of Education #33)Kathryn Jennings (R)
Unopposed: still on your ballot.
Kathryn Jennings Republican Incumbent
Kathryn Jennings was sworn in July 1, 2025 as Regional Superintendent of Schools for Regional Office of Education #33, serving Henderson, Knox, Mercer and Warren counties, per Galesburg business news coverage. She is a resident of Abingdon and a graduate of Avon High School and Culver-Stockton College, with graduate degrees from Western Illinois University, per the same source. No campaign website was found as of September 25, 2026.
Kathryn Jennings is unopposed on the November 3, 2026 ballot for Regional Superintendent of Schools, Regional Office of Education #33 (Henderson, Knox, Mercer and Warren 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, 9th Judicial Circuit, Vacancy of Hon. CavanaughCarissa Bryant (R) · Chad M. Long (Independent)
Carissa Bryant Republican
Carissa Bryant is a lifelong McDonough County, Illinois resident and a partner at her law firm in Carthage, working with counties across the Ninth Judicial Circuit, per her campaign website. She is a member of the Illinois State Bar Association, per the same source.
Chad M. Long Independent
Chad M. Long has more than 17 years of combined experience as an attorney and associate judge in the Ninth Judicial Circuit, per his campaign site. He serves on the Galesburg Community Foundation board and is a past chairman of the Carl Sandburg College Foundation and Discovery Depot Children's Museum boards, per his campaign site.
Carissa Bryant and Chad M. Long are on the November 3, 2026 ballot to fill a vacancy on the 9th Judicial Circuit Court (the seat vacated by the Hon. Cavanaugh). The 9th Judicial Circuit covers Fulton, Hancock, Henderson, Knox, McDonough and Warren 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 pageCircuit Court, 9th Judicial Circuit, Vacancy of Hon. StandardScott P. McClintock (R)
Unopposed: still on your ballot.
Scott P. McClintock Republican
No campaign website was found as of September 25, 2026.
Scott P. McClintock is on the November 3, 2026 ballot to fill a vacancy on the 9th Judicial Circuit Court (the seat vacated by the Hon. Standard). The 9th Judicial Circuit covers Fulton, Hancock, Henderson, Knox, McDonough and Warren 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.
Knox County is split across 5 Illinois Senate and House districts.
Find your districts by addressIllinois Senate: 2 districtsDistricts 36, 47
Illinois Senate District 36Michael W. Halpin (D) · Brad Beekman (R)
Michael W. Halpin Democratic Incumbent
- Bring supply chain jobs back to the United States and support sustainable economic development
- Provide property tax refund assistance to middle class homeowners
- End the practice of passing political offices to family members as an ethics reform
Per the campaign site.
About Michael W. Halpin
Halpin worked as a scheduler and aide to Congressman Lane Evans, clerked for Illinois Supreme Court Justice Rita B. Garman, and practiced law at McCarthy, Callas & Feeney, per the campaign site. Halpin holds a B.A. in political science from Roger Williams University and a J.D. from the University of Illinois College of Law, and serves as Rock Island County Public Guardian, per the campaign site.
Brad Beekman Republican
- Supports law enforcement
- Wants to lower the cost of living for Illinois residents
Per the campaign site.
About Brad Beekman
Brad Beekman is a retired Illinois State Police officer, per his campaign site. He retired as a Master Sergeant after 28 years in law enforcement and graduated from Western Illinois University with a bachelor's degree in Law Enforcement Administration, per WQAD. Beekman is the Republican nominee for Illinois Senate District 36 on the November 3, 2026 ballot.
Michael W. Halpin (Democratic), Brad Beekman (Republican) meet on the November 3 ballot; Michael W. Halpin 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 47Neil Anderson (R)
Unopposed: still on your ballot.
Neil Anderson Republican Incumbent
Neil Anderson is a professional firefighter and paramedic for the City of Moline, first elected to the Senate in 2015, per his Illinois Senate biography. He was raised in the Quad Cities, worked in his family's flooring business, and joined the Moline Fire Department in 2006, per the same source. Anderson was appointed Senate Republican Caucus Chair in 2023 and lives in Andalusia with his wife, Brandi, and their two children. No campaign website was found as of September 20, 2026.
Neil Anderson (Republican) is the only candidate on the November 3 ballot; Neil Anderson 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 71, 93, 94
Illinois House District 71Kermit Thomas (D) · Dan Swanson (R)
Kermit Thomas Democratic
- Wants to redirect state investment to District 71 for jobs, small businesses, and infrastructure
- Supports expanding access to affordable healthcare, including mental health treatment, and protecting rural hospitals from closure
- Supports streamlined access to veterans' benefits, healthcare, and career resources
Per the campaign site.
About Kermit Thomas
Kermit Thomas served in the U.S. Army's 82nd Airborne Division and spent 27 years as an Army Logistics Officer, retiring in 2016 as a field grade officer at the Rock Island Arsenal, per his campaign site. He graduated from Prairie View A&M University with a degree in business marketing, and has since worked at John Deere, served as a local substitute teacher, and founded Timrek3 Productions, per the same source. Thomas is the Democratic nominee for Illinois House District 71 on the November 3, 2026 ballot.
Dan Swanson Republican Incumbent
Dan Swanson is a family farmer and retired Lieutenant Colonel in the Illinois Army National Guard, born July 30, 1959, in Woodhull, per his Illinois House of Representatives biography. He attended Black Hawk East and Western Illinois University and is a former member of the AlWood Board of Education and the Henry County Board, per the same source. No campaign website was found as of September 20, 2026.
Kermit Thomas (Democratic), Dan Swanson (Republican) meet on the November 3 ballot; Dan Swanson 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 93Travis Weaver (R)
Unopposed: still on your ballot.
Travis Weaver Republican Incumbent
Travis Weaver is the incumbent Illinois House member for the 93rd District, per his official representative website. He previously worked in finance and strategy roles at Caterpillar and is a Business Professor at Bradley University, per his official representative website. Weaver holds a BA in Finance and Marketing from the University of Alabama and an MBA from Northwestern University. No campaign website was found as of September 27, 2026.
Travis Weaver (Republican) is the only candidate on the November 3 ballot; Travis Weaver 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 94Joshua S. Higgins (R)
Unopposed: still on your ballot.
Joshua S. Higgins Republican
Joshua S. Higgins is an Air Force veteran and crop insurance salesman from Henderson County, per Muddy River News. He is the Republican nominee for Illinois House District 94, a district that also includes all or parts of Adams, Fulton, Hancock, Knox, Mason, McDonough, Mercer, Peoria, Rock Island, Schuyler, Tazewell, and Warren counties, per the same source. No campaign website was found as of September 20, 2026.
Joshua S. Higgins (Republican) is the only candidate on the November 3 ballot. The seat is open: Rep. Norine K. Hammond (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 Knox County, Illinois on November 3, 2026?
Knox County sample ballot 2026: who is running for circuit court and regional superintendent of schools, with bios, priorities and campaign sites. 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 Knox 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 →