Niles residents have a new state senator after Democrat Patrick Hanley defeated Republican Tom Lally on Tuesday, Nov. 3, in the Illinois 9th District.
The Associated Press called the race for Hanley shortly after 8 p.m., Patch reported. The 9th District covers a swath of northern Cook County, including all or portions of Niles, Morton Grove, Glenview, Skokie, Evanston, Chicago, Wilmette, Winnetka and several other communities.
Election-night tallies showed Hanley winning by a wide margin. With 90 percent of votes counted by 10:30 p.m., Hanley had 60,963 votes to Lally's 14,534, according to Patch. Evanston Now separately reported that with 85 percent of precincts in, Hanley led by nearly 39,000 votes.
Hanley, 36, is a Winnetka resident. Evanston Now described him as a small business owner, while Patch described him as formerly a small business owner and political organizer. He said he was inspired to run as a lifetime resident of the district, according to Patch.
He narrowly won the Democratic primary by 1,500 votes over Evanston Democrat Rachel Ruttenberg, pitching himself as an outside voice who could bring generational change to Springfield, Evanston Now reported.
Hanley spoke briefly at the New Trier Democrats election night party at Pit & Tap in Wilmette. He told Evanston Now he would be focused on "figuring out ways to bring down prices for people" when he takes office in January.
Hanley succeeds State Sen. Laura Fine, who held the seat since 2019. Fine did not seek reelection, instead running unsuccessfully for the 9th Congressional District seat in the March primary.
Hanley and 38 other senators will be sworn in at the Illinois State Capitol in Springfield on Jan. 13, 2027.
