Syed widens lead in 26th Senate race against Hills

Democrat Nabeela Syed holds a commanding 10 percentage-point lead against incumbent Republican Darby Hills in the race for the 26th Senate District.

With 67% of the estimated votes counted, Syed, of Inverness, who is serving her second term as the 51st House District representative, has secured 55.4% of votes to Hills’ 44.6%.

“I am very grateful to every single person in the 26th Senate District that voted for me. And I'm grateful to everyone that voted and made their voice heard,” said Syed, speaking at a watch party in a Lake Zurich restaurant.

Her victory would mean that Democrats pick up another seat in the legislature.

“We have done a lot of work to talk to people at their doorstep about the kind of government that they want to see, one that is responsive to the needs of working families in our community,” she said. “And I believe communicating that vision here locally was a large part of us flipping this district.”

She added that people are tired of a politics that doesn’t work and focuses on niche issues rather than on the fact that it is difficult for working class families to get by.

“I'm committed to doing that work in the state Senate to make it easier for families in our community,” she said.

She said lowering prescription drug costs and working to expand insurance coverage for preventive health care and making mental health services more accessible will be among her priorities.

In a statement issued Tuesday night, Hills thanked the people of the 26th District for allowing her to serve them over the past two years.

“I'm proud of the work we did protecting children and standing up for families,” she said. “For me, this was never about politics. It was always about helping people.”

She thanked family, friends and those who gave their time or donated to the campaign. Hills vowed to continue fighting for her community.

Hills was appointed to the 26th Senate seat after Dan McConchie resigned in 2025. At the time, she was serving as a Barrington Hills trustee, a position to which she was also appointed.

A former prosecutor, Hills said in a Daily Herald questionnaire she has stood in courtrooms with victims and their families. She added she founded Barrington Children's Charities from scratch.

Hills pointed to her support for legislation closing loopholes in the state's grooming laws and adding deepfakes and electronic tracking to its harassment laws.

Syed, who was raised in Palatine, said in a Daily Herald questionnaire that during her tenure in the House she has passed more than 25 bills, many with bipartisan support.

She said she has taken on “Big Pharma” and insurers over drug prices, rejected increases to sales tax, championed expanding the senior property tax freeze, expanded insurance coverage for cancer screenings, banned junk fees, and strengthened protections around sexual assault evidence.

The 26th District encompasses much of southern, central and western Lake County; smaller parts of Kane and McHenry counties; and portions of Barrington and Palatine townships in Cook County.

szalusky@dailyherald.com