Syed rides scooter, blue wave to win in Illinois Senate District 26
A lasting memory of campaign season for suburban TV viewers may be the seemingly ubiquitous ads featuring Illinois Senate candidate Nabeela Syed campaigning door to door aboard a scooter.
Those efforts paid off Tuesday, when the Inverness Democrat and current state representative for House District 51 won election to the state Senate.
Syed defeated incumbent Republican Sen. Darby Hills, garnering 57% of the vote, according to unofficial results. The race had been one of the most watched General Assembly contests, as both campaigns spent heavily to win the northwest suburban district long held by Republicans.
“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,” Syed said during an election night watch party at a Lake Zurich restaurant. “And I believe communicating that vision here locally was a large part of us flipping this district.”
She said she believes voters are tired of politicians focusing on niche issues rather than the difficulties facing working-class families.
“I'm committed to doing that work in the state Senate to make it easier for families in our community,” Syed added, citing lowering prescription drug costs and expanding insurance coverage for preventive health care as some of her priorities.
Hills was appointed to the 26th Senate seat in 2025 to replace the retiring Dan McConchie. At the time, she was serving as a Barrington Hills trustee, a position to which she was also appointed.
In a statement issued Tuesday night, Hills thanked the people of the 26th District for allowing her to serve them, as well as her family, friends and those who gave their time or donated to her campaign.
“I'm proud of the work we did protecting children and standing up for families,” said Hills, a former prosecutor who co-founded Barrington Children's Charities. “For me, this was never about politics. It was always about helping people.”
szalusky@dailyherald.com