U.S. Rep. Eric Sorensen may end up having no primary opponent in the March 2026 election.
Democrat Montez Soliz of Rockford posted on social media that he has been removed from the ballot in the Illinois’ 17th Congressional District race following an objection to his petitions. That district includes parts of Bloomington-Normal, Greater Peoria, the Quad Cities and Rockford.
“Being taken off the ballot is a setback, not a verdict on our vision. It says more about how our system treats new voices than it does about the power of this movement,” Soliz said in the post.
Illinois State Board of Elections spokesperson Matt Dietrich said no official action will be taken on the objection until the board meets Jan. 8. He said a hearing officer typically will discuss the case with the candidate and share their findings and recommendation. The board's general counsel will also provide a recommendation, but those do not become public until the Board of Elections agenda appears online.
Soliz’s campaign has not responded to a request for comment.
A Peoria resident filed an objection to Soliz’s candidacy, claiming he did not submit enough valid signatures. The complaint contends many of the signers did not provide valid addresses or do not live in the district.
Sorensen, a two-term Democrat from Moline, is running for a third term next year.
Two Republicans, Julie Bickelhaupt of Mount Carroll and Dillan Vancil of Gladstone, have filed to run in the GOP primary.
