Incumbent State Sen. Laura Fine (D-Glenview) is projected to win re-election in Illinois’s 9th district against Republican challenger Paul Kelly. 

With over 95% of the vote reported at 11:21 p.m., Fine leads Kelly 76% to 24%, according to the New York Times with data from The Associated Press. 

“I’m looking forward to representing this district,” Fine told The Daily. “I am proud to do so and just honored that the people I represent have selected me to continue to do my job.” 

This will be Fine’s second term representing the 9th district, which includes parts of Evanston, Glencoe, Glenview, Golf, Kenilworth, Morton Grove, Northbrook, Northfield, Skokie, Wilmette and Winnetka. Fine’s campaign focused on health care and mental health access, the environment and women’s rights. 

In 2018, Fine was elected to her first term with 71.8% of the vote, defeating Republican Joan McCarthy Lasonde, who received 28.2% of the vote. 

Kelly, a Wilmette native, centered his campaign on reducing taxes and increasing the role of parents and the community in education. 

Fine ran unopposed in the June Democratic primary. She received an endorsement from the Chicago Tribune’s Editorial Board.

Fine sits on the Behavioral and Mental Health Committee in Springfield and is a member of the Environment, Insurance, and Healthcare Access and Availability Committees. This summer, she helped pass a bill last June to expand Illinois’ mental health workforce. 

“Mental health is so important to so many people in my community,” Fine told The Daily. “And the fact that we’ve been able to make strides in Illinois in order to get people access to the coverage they need has been very gratifying.”

Fine represented the 17th district of Illinois in the state House of Representatives from 2013-2019 before running for Illinois State Senate in 2018. Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss represented the 9th district in the Senate seat before Fine. 

This summer, Fine was selected to participate in the Milbank Fellows Program, a nationwide leadership program centered on public policy and health outcomes.

Before her time in office, Fine taught political science courses at Northeastern Illinois University and was the Clerk of Northfield Township.

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Twitter: @katewalter03

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