Illinois State Senator, 59th Legislative District
State Senate District 59; Illinois
My vote power
High
Election date
November 3, 2026 · General election
How do we calculate my vote power?
What goes into the rating: Representation: how much weight one vote carries here compared with a statewide vote — the smaller the district, the more each vote counts. Decisiveness: how likely this race is to be close, based on past results or current analyst ratings, plus the number of candidates.
Representation: High · 68 out of 100
This district is a small slice of its state, so each vote here carries much more weight than a vote in a statewide race. About 214,713 people live here.
Show the representation math
score = 50 + 50 × ln(state population ÷ this district's) ÷ ln(50,000) = 50 + 50 × ln(12,694,798 ÷ 214,713) ÷ ln(50,000) = 68.85, measured against a statewide vote in IL (grades: 66+ high, 55+ above average, 33+ average, otherwise low; a statewide race is the 50 baseline)
Decisiveness: Unknown
No analyst ratings or past results for this contest yet.
High representation → My vote power: High.
Some data is missing, so this rating is based on partial information and capped at "High".
About this office
- Voting on how much you pay in state taxes
- Voting on how much money your local public schools get
- Voting on which roads and highways get built or repaired
Affects: AI Regulation, Healthcare Affordability, Environment and Public Health,
Candidates
Republican · Incumbent · declared
Paul Jacobs has served in the Illinois Senate since June 2026, after more than five years in the Illinois House. A Navy veteran, longtime Southern Illinois optometrist, and former vineyard owner, he backs fiscal restraint and ethics reform.
Records: Women's Reproductive Rights 4 against, Government Efficiency 2 for, Gun Control 2 against,
Democratic · declared
Tamiko T.C. Mueller serves on the Jackson County Board and is a U.S. Army Reserve lieutenant colonel with more than 25 years of service. A real-estate broker and business owner, she founded a nonprofit supporting disabled homeless veterans and returning citizens.
Independent · declared
William Lo is executive director of the Carbondale Chamber of Commerce and a longtime restaurant manager who is general manager of New Kahala. He co-founded and leads Southern Illinois Collaborative Kitchen, a nonprofit addressing food insecurity.
Records: Social Programs and Welfare 1 for
Sources: elections.il.gov2 · ballotready.org