Last updated March 18 at 4:27 p.m.
Winnetka environmentalist Patrick Hanley declared victory over opponent and Evanston attorney Rachel Ruttenberg in the Democratic primary election to represent the 9th District in the Illinois Senate Tuesday night.
Hanley has 51.5% of the vote with 94% of ballots counted, according to data from the Associated Press last updated at 9:34 p.m.
“I’m just so grateful to the voters of the 9th District and to (an) incredible volunteer team that did so much work to get us to where we are now,” Hanley told The Daily. “I just feel very humbled and grateful and gratified.”
Hanley will face Republican candidate Tom Lally in the Nov. 3 general election. Lally has not yet campaigned or fundraised.
In a Wednesday Instagram post, Ruttenberg congratulated Hanley on his win and wrote she is looking forward to “uniting as Democrats over the coming days and making sure we have a strong blue wave” during the general election.
If he wins in November, Hanley will replace State Sen. Laura Fine (D-Glenview), who has held the seat since 2019. Fine, who was a frontrunner in the crowded Democratic primary to represent Illinois’ 9th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives, conceded the race to opponent Mayor Daniel Biss on Tuesday.
Hanley, a community organizer and small business owner, launched his campaign in May 2025. Most notably, he received an early endorsement from outgoing U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Evanston). He founded the voting advocacy program Operation Swing State with Schakowsky and Cook County Board of Commissioners president Toni Preckwinkle.
In the contest between two first-time political candidates with similar liberal policy views, Hanley and Ruttenberg have sought to distinguish themselves through their personal profiles on the campaign trail.
The two faced off during a Feb. 16 forum at the Glenview Public Library, where they agreed on policies like implementing a progressive income tax, opposing federal funding cuts to social programs and combating federal immigration enforcement.
They only diverged on what they considered necessary experience for political office, with Ruttenberg emphasizing her former roles.
Ruttenberg previously served as Preckwinkle’s deputy chief of staff for policy. She has also worked as a policy advocate for Chicago Public Schools and various nonprofit organizations.
The race remained close in fundraising over 10 months of campaigning. Hanley maintained a steady fundraising lead until Ruttenberg pulled ahead in the last quarter of 2025. The boost came from a $72,800 donation from the Jewish Caucus PAC.
Hanley said while his campaign will “take a beat” to celebrate, they will be back on the campaign trail soon.
“We’re going to get out there to the doors, we’re going to be making phone calls, and we’re going to work hard to make sure that we reelect a Democrat in the 9th District,” Hanley said.
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