Far southwest suburban state Sen. Patrick Joyce, D-Essex, aimed to fend off a challenge Tuesday from Republican Phil Nagel and earn a third term — and in turn wipe out the GOP’s main target for picking up a Senate seat.
It marked the second straight matchup between Joyce and Nagel in the 40th Senate District, which stretches from Chicago Heights out to Kankakee.
Joyce was appointed in 2019, elected to a two-year term in 2020 and beat Nagel by almost 11 percentage points for reelection in 2022.
Nagel, 42, served in the U.S. Air Force maintaining F-16 fighter jets. The Braidwood resident works for a polymer manufacturing firm.
Illinois GOP leaders viewed it as a rare opportunity to pick up a seat in the super-majority Democratic chamber, pumping more than $460,000 into Nagel’s campaign.
But Illinois Senate President Don Harmon dug even deeper to avoid losing a caucus member, directing almost $2 million in campaign funds to Joyce’s committee. Several major labor unions also backed Joyce.