People have been asking for this episode for months, and we’ve finally delivered it. We’re revealing how candidates performed in 2024 and where Republicans can win in Illinois in 2026, all based on data.

In this special episode of Smoke-Filled Room, Collin Corbett, Michael Butler, and Chris Jackowiak unveil data and give analysis you won’t get anywhere else, with a little help from Abbey Corbett.

In part 1, we look at the candidates who overperformed and underperformed throughout Illinois. How did you or your favorite candidate perform? Based on the data, we hand out letter grades…with many that are sure to surprise.

In part 2, we analyze the turnout data from 2024, now that it is fully available statewide. The data challenges assumptions many have just accepted as fact at this point, while revealing several other interesting trends that should shape Republicans’ strategy in 2026.

In part 3, we take all the data to identify which districts and counties Republicans should, and shouldn’t, invest in this election cycle. Is your district or county a start, bench, or cut pick? This caused multiple, and we mean multiple, heated debates among the group as we went through every battleground in the state.

Each part of this Smoke-Filled Room has valuable insight to help Republicans do better in 2026. Watch this week’s Smoke-Filled Room below on YouTube or here on Spotify.

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• 00:00: Introduction to This Special Episode

• 03:29: Part 1: 2024 IL Candidate Performance

• 04:46: 2024 Congressional Candidate Performance

• 20:46: 2024 State Senate Candidate Performance

• 27:55: 2024 State House Candidate Performance

• 01:00:15: Part 2: 2024 IL Turnout Analysis

• 01:00:55: Overall Turnout Was Down

• 01:03:34: Yet Again, Republican Turnout Went Up

• 01:09:33: Democratic Turnout Up in the Suburbs but Down Overall

• 01:14:53: Suburban Turnout Up Overall

• 01:16:07: Older Voter Turnout Increased While Younger Voter Turnout Decreased

• 01:20:51: Minority Turnout Down Again

• 01:26:42: Part 3: 2026 IL District Opportunities

• 01:28:59: 2026 Congressional Opportunities

• 01:38:15: 2026 State Senate Opportunities

• 01:55:11: 2026 State House Opportunities

• 02:33:01: 2026 County Opportunities

We want to hear from you. If you want more data on your district or county, email us and we’ll be happy to share. Are there picks you agree or disagree with? Let us know! We’ll share your thoughts on next week’s episode as we debate the results from this special episode. Then be sure to subscribe to  Long9 Studio on Spotify or YouTube so you can hear what our experts think about your opinion…