Republican · Illinois Senate · 2026
Don Tracy
Tracy is the oldest of 12 children and started working in the family warehouse at 10.
Biography
Don Tracy is the oldest of twelve children, and his working life began in the family warehouse at ten.1 He drove trucks during college summers and worked as a traveling salesman while attending law school.1 He and his wife, Wanda, raised four children and now have eight grandchildren.1
Born in Urbana and raised in Mount Sterling, Tracy later made his family home in Springfield.1 He became a business lawyer, running a firm with his sister in law, Jil Tracy, before serving as senior counsel at Brown, Hay & Stephens.1 His work has included more than forty years as general outside counsel for his family's business.1
Tracy chaired the Illinois Gaming Board from 2015 to 2019 and the Illinois Republican Party from 2021 to 2024.2 His civic service has included leading the Abraham Lincoln Association, the Oak Ridge Cemetery Board and the Dana Thomas House Foundation.1 He has also worked with youth, church and community organizations, including the Springfield YMCA and a Little League program.1
His Senate platform emphasizes lowering utility bills, healthcare price transparency, competition and reduced federal spending.2 He supports stronger border enforcement alongside an orderly legal immigration system.2 He faces Democrat Juliana Stratton on November 3 for the seat Senator Dick Durbin is vacating, with Illinois's Senate representation and the chamber's balance of power at stake.3
Record and controversies
Political activity allegation not proved
In 2019, Illinois's executive inspector general found that Tracy engaged in prohibited political activity while chairing the Gaming Board, based on a contribution from a joint account.4 Tracy said his wife made the donation independently, and both later testified at an ethics hearing.4 In January 2025, the Executive Ethics Commission found that the allegation had not been proved by a preponderance of the evidence.4