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Meet the candidates in Illinois Congressional District 17
Democratic Congressman Eric Sorensen (left) and Republican challenger Dillan Vancil.
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Sorensen
SorensenUpdated Oct 16, 2026, 2:28 PM ET
Dillan Vancil is the Republican nominee for Illinois's 17th congressional district in 2026, having won the Republican primary with 58.4% of the vote, and faces Democratic incumbent Eric Sorensen.
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2026 race
Dillan Vancil is the Republican nominee in the 2026 election for Illinois's 17th congressional district, which is based in north-central Illinois and stretches from Rockford to the Quad Cities metropolitan area and Bloomington, also taking in Peoria.
Vancil won the Republican primary with 19,535 votes, or 58.4%, defeating Julie Bickelhaupt, who received 41.6%. The seat is held by Democrat Eric Sorensen, who was elected with 54.4% of the vote in 2024 and is the Democratic nominee.
Vancil and Sorensen meet in the general election on November 3, 2026.