John
D. Elleson

A candidate list drawn from the Illinois State Board of Elections, checked October 5, confirmed Daniel Biss and John Elleson as the two candidates for Illinois' 9th Congressional District on the November ballot.

The Tribune's editorial board endorsed Democrat Daniel Biss for the general election, noting that Elleson had won the Tribune's endorsement in the Republican primary but that the board preferred Biss for the November race.

Illinois Family Action listed 'U.S. House Dist. 9 – John Elleson – Endorsed!' in its 2026 general-election endorsements.

The Chicago Tribune published additional coverage of the candidates' exchanges, including clashes over immigration, data centers, and other issues at a candidate forum.

The Chicago Tribune covered the September 24 Skokie forum, highlighting differences between Biss and Elleson on immigration enforcement, Iran, and data centers. The Tribune noted both candidates would appear on the November ballot.

At a League of Women Voters event at Skokie Public Library, Elleson and Biss discussed immigration and ICE, Iran and Israel, data centers, and the national debt. Elleson said he supports enforcing immigration law while describing pastoral work with undocumented church members, saying 'I don't turn them in. I write letters.' He backed U.S. involvement in Iran and called himself a 'strong Israel supporter.'

Elleson won the Republican primary with approximately 49% of the vote (about 7,401 votes, or 48.96%), defeating three other Republicans to secure the nomination for Illinois' 9th Congressional District.