Biography
Diane Harris is the Republican nominee for Illinois Secretary of State. A Joliet Junior College trustee who describes herself as an entrepreneur, she retired from ComEd and was the Republican nominee for the 43rd State Senate district in 2022.[1][3][4]
Harris earned an associate degree from Joliet Junior College and a bachelor's degree from the University of Phoenix.[2] She retired from ComEd and, for several years, owned a clothing boutique in downtown Joliet.[4]
She ran for mayor of Joliet in 2011 and was elected to the Joliet Junior College board in 2023.[4] In 2022 she was the Republican nominee for the State Senate and lost.[3]
Harris won the Republican primary for secretary of state on March 17, 2026.[1][4] In a Sun-Times questionnaire she criticized her opponent for running for mayor of Chicago and secretary of state at the same time, saying that "the people deserve someone who's committed to serving this state's office."[3]
- 1.Illinois Secretary of State election, 2026 · Ballotpedia · 2026-10-19 Reference
- 2.Diane Harris · Ballotpedia Reference
- 3.What to know about the Illinois secretary of state race between Alexi Giannoulias and Diane Harris · Chicago Sun-Times / WBEZ · 2026-10-01 News report
- 4.Joliet woman GOP candidate for Illinois secretary of state · The Herald-News (Shaw Local) · 2026-03-21 News report
Researched from the cited sources on 2026-10-21.
On the ballot
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