On February 5, early voting begins in Illinois for the March 17 primary election. Congresswoman Nikki Budzinski is seeking a third term in Illinois’ 13th congressional district, which stretches from Champaign-Urbana to East St. Louis. She faces several challengers from the GOP as well as her own party.
Republican candidate Joshua Loyd lives in Virden, near Springfield. This is his second time running in the 13th. At the 2025 State Fair, Loyd said his campaign focuses on education, energy, and the economy.
“We still have to focus on the farmers. Farmers are one of the most important individuals within our country,” he said. “We are one of the top producers of Ag in the entire country. In terms of education, only one in four students can read, write, or comprehend math at a written level. That is abysmal.”
Loyd said Illinois is one of the top energy producers in the United States, so he aims to help industries make their fuel more affordable.
“Whether it’s nuclear, solar, coal, natural gas, we are a top producer, so we have to make it cost-effective and efficient in order to produce and export.”
Another Republican touts his 30 years of experience with nuclear energy. Champaign County Board Member Jeff Wilson gained that knowledge in the US Navy. At the State Fair in 2025, he campaigned with his wife, Becky. Wilson believes nuclear energy will boost Illinois’ economy.
He mentioned “bringing more energy to Illinois through nuclear power, small modular reactors, so that when you turn on the light switch, your light goes on when you want to open up the refrigerator, it’s still cooling things.”
Another military veteran is running on the Democratic side. IPM News caught up with Dylan Blaha and his team as they passed out pamphlets to students at the University of Illinois during the fall of 2025. The Urbana resident is an Army veteran who served in Afghanistan and conducted cancer research from 2017- 2021 as a U of I student. He wants to focus on basic needs in Congress.
“There is a rising unhoused crisis in everywhere, from Champaign-Urbana to Springfield to East St Louis,” said Blaha. “So building affordable housing and investing in infrastructure all around towns to make it to where people feel proud to live in those areas again. There’s a lot of young people that are [in their] 20’s, 30’s, even in their 40’s, that they just don’t feel like they can afford housing anymore.”
Blaha is trying to unseat Democratic incumbent Nikki Budzinski, who is running for a third time to represent the 13th.
During her time in office, Rep. Budzinski (R-IL13) helped the Village of Savoy secure more than $22 million for an infrastructure project, which will build a new railroad bridge over Curtis Road.
After an August meeting with constituents at the Champaign Public Library, Budzinski said she wants to continue focusing on economic policies in her next term.
“It’s a tax credit for small businesses that hire apprentices, again, helping to make more opportunities a reality for young people who want to get into the workplace here in central Illinois,” she said.
Budzinski is a former aide to Gov. JB Pritzker and former President Joe Biden. She also supports repealing parts of President Trump’s ‘big beautiful bill’ that would reduce reimbursements to Medicaid.
Also entering the race is Democratic Challenger, Dr. Emily Lux. She is a Champaign County resident, who graduated from the University of Illinois and formerly worked as a law consultant to faculty and students on social work issues.
“Let’s take child welfare. For example, the police are one of the first things that the child sees, and the separation of the family is one of the first things that happened with under the authority of the police,” said Lux.
“And I think that having them hold back for a little bit until everything is explained, everything has been talked about, and then having them enter, I think, will be a much more productive and gentler approach for the child.”
You can vote for your choice in the Illinois Primary on March 17, 2026. The winners will compete in the general election in November, helping determine if the next US Congress will hold a majority of Democratic or Republican seats.