CHICAGO, Ill. (Diya TV) — Democrat Nabeela Syed defeated Republican Darby Hills in Illinois’ 26th Senate District, winning about 57% of the vote to Hills’ 43%, according to unofficial results. Syed’s win flips a northwest suburban seat Republicans held before Hills took office and gives Democrats another seat in Springfield.

Syed, 27, represents the 51st District in the Illinois House and will move to the Senate after completing her second House term. She grew up in Palatine and graduated from the University of California, Berkeley, in 2021. Hills, a former prosecutor and Barrington Hills trustee, entered the race after lawmakers appointed her in 2025 to finish the term of Republican Dan McConchie, who resigned to take a nonprofit-sector job.

At her election-night watch party, Syed said her campaign focused on talking with voters about the pressures facing working families. “Our campaign team, our volunteers, were able to talk to people about the most important concerns in their life,” she told supporters.

She said she would prioritize lowering prescription drug costs, expanding insurance coverage for preventive care and improving access to mental-health services. Hills campaigned on public safety, lower taxes and government spending controls.

The race also focused on data-center development, an increasingly contentious issue in Illinois. Both candidates called for stronger oversight as communities weigh the projects’ economic benefits against their demands on electricity and local infrastructure.

Campaign spending reflected the stakes. WBEZ’s review of campaign-finance records found the candidates raised about $6.5 million before Election Day, making the contest one of the costliest Illinois General Assembly races on record. Syed raised at least $4.7 million, more than twice Hills’ $1.8 million. Democratic Party organizations and unions provided much of Syed’s support. A separate political committee also spent money opposing her.

The 26th District stretches across parts of Cook, Lake, McHenry and Kane counties. Its result matters in a region where both parties invested heavily, even though Democrats entered the election with supermajorities in the Illinois House and Senate.

Syed’s victory adds another Democratic seat to the chamber as the party seeks to strengthen its position in Springfield. Election officials have not certified the results.