The Winner
Rep. Mike Bost (R-IL) will represent Illinois’ 12th Congressional District for a seventh term after defeating Democrat Julie Fortier. The Associated Press called the race at 8:15 p.m. Central time on Tuesday, Nov. 3, the Daily Egyptian reported.
With about 98% of the expected vote counted, Bost had 194,651 votes (69.7%) to Fortier’s 84,768 (30.3%), a margin of about 39 points, according to ABC7 Chicago’s results. That’s a slightly narrower win than in 2024, when Bost beat Democrat Brian Roberts 74.2% to 25.8%.
The Race
Fortier is an Air Force veteran from O’Fallon making her first run for office. Both candidates were unopposed in their March 17 primaries. Cook Political Report and Inside Elections rated the race Solid Republican, and Sabato’s Crystal Ball rated it Safe Republican, according to Ballotpedia’s race page.
The 12th covers most of the southern third of Illinois, from just east of the Metro East region near St. Louis to the Ohio River, Capitol News Illinois reported when the current map was drawn. It spans 34 counties and includes Carbondale, Marion and Bost’s hometown of Murphysboro.
About 746,800 people live in the district, the median age is about 42 and the typical household earns about $68,500 a year. About 24% of adults hold at least a bachelor’s degree. Residents are about 88% white, 5% Black, 3% Hispanic and 1% Asian, unemployment is about 4.6%, and about 13% live below the poverty line.
What’s Next
Bost’s seventh term begins Sunday, Jan. 3, 2027, and the results stay unofficial until Illinois certifies them. Democrats won control of the House, and Bost told WSIU on election night that his job now is to find common ground with Democrats on the district’s needs.
“We’ve got more work to do, and I’m ready to get back to it,” Bost said in a statement from his campaign on Wednesday, Nov. 4.
---
AllCiv makes it easy to stay politically informed and involved.
---
Spot something wrong? Report an issue with this article