The filing period for Democrats and Republicans closed Monday for those running in the primary election set for March 17, 2026.

Locally, the only contested primary race as it stands now will be on the Republican ballot for county commissioner.

The three board members are elected to staggered six-year terms, with one commissioner’s seat on the ballot every election year.

Monroe County Board Chairman George Green is up for re-election in 2026, although he will face a rare inter-party challenge from Marvin Wittenauer, a newcomer to the local political arena.

Green is currently in his first term as commissioner after being elected in 2020.

Green and his wife Linda (nee Hoffmann) live in Maeystown. He is a real estate broker with Tammy Mitchell Hines & Co., and retired from Industrial Minerals as an operations manager.

Wittenauer, a lifelong Monroe County resident, grew up in Hecker before moving to Waterloo. He has worked as a “self-employed farmer” and is also the owner of MW Construction.

“I decided to run for commissioner as the (Oak Hill) nursing home issues came to light. I think the voters in Monroe County deserve a choice in candidates and more transparency on major issues,” Wittenauer told the Republic-Times as his motivation for running. “I also think there should be more fiscal responsibility on where our tax dollars are being spent.”

Monroe County Republican Central Committee Chairman Ed McLean told the Republic-Times on Tuesday that county Republicans are “strongly behind George Green and will support his primary campaign to the fullest.”

Democrat Pat Kelly is running unopposed for the same seat on the county board. Kelly unsuccessfully ran against Commissioner Vicki Koerber in 2022.

The primary race for commissioner may not be completely set in stone, according to information shared by Monroe County Clerk Jonathan McLean.

McLean told the Republic-Times that some concerns have been raised about the validity of signatures as pertains to the county commissioners race, with formal protests on this matter required by Monday. 

The key issue at hand in this matter involves a stipulation that prohibits a registered voter who has signed one candidate’s petition from signing a petition for a different political party for the same primary election. 

If one or more objection is raised as to the validity of a candidate’s petition to be on the primary ballot, a three-person election board must rule during a hearing on the matter.

In other Monroe County races, Republican incumbents Kevin Koenigstein (treasurer), Neal Rohlfing (sheriff), Jonathan McLean (county clerk) and Dawn Goff (supervisor of assessments) are running unopposed in the primary and general elections, barring and surprise filings before May 26, 2026.

Independent candidates and members of new political parties have until that date to file paperwork since no primaries are held for those groups.

Along with local elections, voters will also be deciding Illinois’ governor.

Democratic incumbent JB Pritzker is seeking re-election unopposed while the Republican primaries are set to include Ted Dabrowski, Rick Heidner, James Mendrick and Darren Bailey – who appears to be continuing in the race even as he recently faced the tragedy of a personal loss in the family.

In Illinois House of Representatives District 116, incumbent Republican Rep. David Friess of Red Bud is set to run unopposed.

Incumbent Republican Sen. Terri Bryant of Murphysboro is expected to pursue re-election for Illinois State Senate District 58.

At the federal level, voters in Monroe County will be choosing a U.S. Representative as Republican incumbent Mike Bost seeks re-election. In the primary, Bost is running against Michael Tabacchi and is set to face Democratic candidate Julie Fortier.

The race for one U.S. Senate seat in Illinois is expected to be heavily contested following the announcement that longtime Democratic Senator Dick Durbin would not be seeking re-election. 

The race currently sees a dozen or more candidates on other either side of the political aisle competing in their respective primaries.