Illinois State Senator, 36th Legislative District
November 3, 2026 · State Senate District 36; Illinois · State senate district · general
How do we calculate vote impact?
Vote impact = representation (how much weight one vote carries here, the smaller the district's population, the higher the representation) + decisiveness (how likely this race is to be close, based on past results and number of candidates).
Representation: Average · 55 out of 100
This district is mid-sized for its type, so each vote carries average weight. About 214,332 people live here.
score = 100 × ln(largest population ÷ this district's) ÷ ln(largest ÷ smallest), rounded to 2 decimals = 100 × ln(221,017 ÷ 214,332) ÷ ln(221,017 ÷ 209,032) = 55.09, comparing state senate districts in IL (grades: 66+ high, 33+ average, otherwise low)
Decisiveness: Unknown
No past results for this contest yet.
Average representation + unknown decisiveness → Average vote impact.
Some data is missing, so this rating is based on partial information and capped at "High".
State Senator is responsible for:
- Voting on state laws and the state budget
- Representing their district in the state senate
- Confirming certain governor appointments in many states
- Helping district residents deal with state agencies
Affected Areas: Environment and Public Health, Reduce Wealth Gap, Anti-Corruption, Government Efficiency, Healthcare Affordability, Government Spending Reduction, Public Safety and Crime Control, Housing Affordability, Social Programs and Welfare, Public Education Quality, Gun Control, Women's Reproductive Rights, Election Integrity, Personal Income Tax Reduction, Data Privacy, Civil Rights, Corporate Accountability, Public Infrastructure
Candidates
Brad Beekman
Republican · declared
Brad Beekman is a Republican candidate for Illinois Senate District 36 and an elected Bushnell-Prairie City school-board member. He retired from the Illinois State Police in 2023 after a 28-year law-enforcement career and works in the accounting and trust department at Farmers & Merchants State Bank while also operating a farm.
Records: Environment and Public Health 1 against, Government Efficiency 2 for, Government Spending Reduction 2 for, Healthcare Affordability 1 for, Housing Affordability 1 for, Public Education Quality 4 for, Public Infrastructure 1 for, Public Safety and Crime Control 2 for, Reduce Wealth Gap 1 for
Michael W. Halpin
Democratic · Incumbent · declared
Michael W. Halpin is the Democratic Illinois state senator for District 36 and chair of the Senate Appropriations-Education Committee. An attorney and former District 72 state representative, he has worked on education, labor, veterans, consumer finance, human-trafficking prevention, guardianship safeguards, and Western Illinois economic development.
Records: Anti-Corruption 1 for, Civil Rights 2 for, Corporate Accountability 5 for, Data Privacy 1 for, Election Integrity 1 for, Environment and Public Health 3 for, Government Efficiency 3 for, Healthcare Affordability 4 for, Housing Affordability 2 for, Personal Income Tax Reduction 2 for, Public Education Quality 7 for, Public Infrastructure 2 for, Public Safety and Crime Control 4 for, Reduce Wealth Gap 3 for, Social Programs and Welfare 3 for, Women's Reproductive Rights 1 for
Election sources
Source: elections.il.gov
Source: elections.il.gov
Source: multistate.us