U.S. House, Illinois 11th Congressional District · Election November 3, 2026 · Updated
Who should I vote for in Illinois's 11th Congressional District?
Bill Foster has the strongest record in Illinois's 11th Congressional District. Bill Foster scores 69 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, ahead of Jeff Walter at 53, as of October 9, 2026. Bill Foster's highest marks are relevant experience and command of the job. Jeff Walter's highest marks are relevant experience. Every score comes from public records on character, qualifications and performance, the same way for every party.
Democratic · incumbent
Strongest record
Bill Foster
69 / 100
Public evidence on 13 of 15 criteria
- Character
- 56
- Qualifications
- 80
- Performance
- 69
Republican
Jeff Walter
53 / 100
Public evidence on 8 of 15 criteria
- Character
- 50
- Qualifications
- 56
- Performance
- NR
The good, the bad and the unresolved
The record
The notable facts of each candidate's public life, each tied to a source and confirmed to be this person. Unresolved matters are labeled with where they stand and do not move a score.
Bill Foster
- Credit2025 to 2026
Held open in-person town halls in Crystal Lake in April 2025 and April 2026 and in Aurora in July 2025.
Sources: Shaw Local, April 17, 2025, Shaw Local, April 9, 2026, CBS News Chicago, July 30, 2025
- Credit2025
Serves as ranking member of the House Financial Services Subcommittee on Financial Institutions in the 119th Congress.
Source: GovTrack, committee membership
- Credit2021-10
The American Physical Society awarded him and Stephen Holmes the 2022 Robert R. Wilson Prize for leadership in developing Fermilab's modern accelerator complex.
Source: CERN Courier, 2022 APS awards
Jeff Walter
- On the record2026-02-19
In a Daily Herald candidate interview he said it is not yet known whether Joe Biden legitimately won the 2020 election, while acknowledging the Electoral College elected Biden.
- Credit2025-04
Re-elected to a third term as Elburn village president in April 2025, after two terms as a village trustee beginning in 2009, following 22 years of active and reserve Navy service.
Who they are
Character
Integrity
Tells the truth, keeps their word, and takes no private gain from public office.
Bill Foster. His 2025 annual financial disclosure was filed April 18, 2026, and the Clerk index lists no periodic transaction reports for him. No House Ethics Committee matter or FEC administrative fine found.
Sources: House Clerk financial disclosure, Filing ID 10074956, House Committee on Ethics site search for "Bill Foster", FEC administrative fines search
Jeff Walter. Campaign reports are on file with the FEC through June 30, 2026 and a House candidate financial disclosure was filed Oct. 25, 2025. No FEC administrative fine found.
Sources: FEC candidate page, House Clerk candidate financial disclosure, Filing ID 10071828, FEC administrative fines search
Courage
Takes a stand that costs them something, including telling their own side no.
Bill Foster. No public record found.
Jeff Walter. No public record found.
Accountability
Owns mistakes, answers hard questions, and works in the open.
Bill Foster. Held open in-person town halls in Crystal Lake in April 2025 and April 2026 and in Aurora in July 2025, with no registration required.
Sources: Shaw Local, April 17, 2025, Shaw Local, April 9, 2026, Shaw Local (Daily Herald), July 23, 2025
Jeff Walter. Took part in a joint virtual interview with the Daily Herald in the 2026 Republican primary. No 2026 general election debate record found.
Temperament and judgment
Steady under pressure, decides on evidence, and treats opponents and staff with respect.
Bill Foster. Has served in the U.S. House from 2008 to 2011 and since 2013 after careers as a Fermilab physicist and company co-founder. No censure, reprimand or House Ethics Committee finding found.
Sources: GovTrack, Bill Foster, House Committee on Ethics site search for "Bill Foster"
Jeff Walter. Served nine years of active Navy duty and 13 in the reserves and has held Elburn village office since 2009. No conduct finding found.
Fidelity to the oath
Uses power inside its limits: accepts certified results, obeys court rulings, follows the rules of the office.
Bill Foster. Voted Nay on both January 2021 objections to certified electors (Arizona and Pennsylvania). No misuse-of-office finding found.
Sources: House Clerk Roll Call 10, Jan. 6, 2021, House Clerk Roll Call 11, Jan. 7, 2021
Jeff Walter. Served in the Navy and has held sworn village office in Elburn since 2009. No misuse-of-office finding found.
What they bring
Qualifications
Relevant experience
Has done work that prepares them for this specific office.
Bill Foster. In the U.S. House for 2008 to 2011 (14th District) and since 2013 (11th District); earlier a Fermilab physicist and co-founder of Electronic Theatre Controls.
Sources: Shaw Local questionnaire, Oct. 1, 2024, Office site, biography
Jeff Walter. Elburn village president, re-elected to a third term in 2025, after two terms as a trustee; retired Navy master chief; career in technology consulting.
Sources: Kane County Chronicle, June 8, 2025, Campaign site, About
Command of the job
Knows the issues and knows what the office can and cannot do.
Bill Foster. Ranking member of the Financial Services Subcommittee on Financial Institutions and a member of the Science, Space, and Technology Committee; publishes issue pages on financial services, AI and science.
Sources: GovTrack, committee membership, Office site, home page
Jeff Walter. Has described priorities in general terms in interviews (economy, manufacturing, trades education); his campaign Positions page did not load.
Communication
Explains plainly, persuades, and listens.
Bill Foster. Offers an e-newsletter, holds in-person and virtual town halls and office hours, publishes issue pages and answered Shaw Local's 2024 questionnaire.
Sources: Office site, home page, Shaw Local questionnaire, Oct. 1, 2024
Jeff Walter. Publishes a campaign biography and gave Daily Herald interviews. No Ballotpedia survey found.
Sources: Campaign site, About, Shaw Local (Daily Herald), Feb. 19, 2026
Roots in the constituency
Lives there, knows the people, and is funded by them.
Bill Foster. Lives in Naperville and has represented the area in Congress since 2013. FEC by-state totals show about 43 percent of itemized individual contributions from Illinois.
Sources: Shaw Local questionnaire, Oct. 1, 2024, Shaw Local, April 17, 2025, FEC contribution totals by state
Jeff Walter. No public record found.
Management
Can build and run an organization.
Bill Foster. Campaign committee reports are on file with the FEC through June 30, 2026. No FEC administrative fine found.
Sources: FEC candidate page, FEC administrative fines search
Jeff Walter. Campaign committee reports are on file with the FEC through June 30, 2026. No FEC administrative fine found.
Sources: FEC candidate page, FEC administrative fines search
What they deliver
Performance
Results
Turns ideas into outcomes.
Bill Foster. Legislative Effectiveness Score meets expectations in the 118th Congress (0.356 against a 0.543 benchmark). His enacted sponsored bills are post office namings.
Sources: Center for Effective Lawmaking House dataset, 93rd to 118th Congress, GovTrack, enacted legislation
Jeff Walter. No public record found.
Showing up
Does the basic work of the job.
Bill Foster. Missed 94 of 9,838 roll call votes, 1.0 percent (0.96 unrounded), from March 2008 to September 2026.
Source: GovTrack, missed votes
Jeff Walter. No public record found.
Constituent service
Solves problems for the people they represent.
Bill Foster. Runs district offices in Aurora and Huntley and holds mobile and virtual office hours. No published casework totals found.
Source: Office site, home page
Jeff Walter. No public record found.
Coalition building
Wins support beyond their own faction.
Bill Foster. Lugar Center Bipartisan Index score of -0.80187 in the latest posted House scores (118th Congress, 2023), ranked 289 of 436: negative, not in the bottom quarter.
Source: Lugar Center and McCourt School Bipartisan Index, House Scores
Jeff Walter. No public record found.
Stewardship of public money
Treats tax dollars as someone else's money.
Bill Foster. No public record found.
Jeff Walter. No public record found.
How to read this
Each criterion is scored 0 to 4 against the written rubric in the Ballot Standard. NR means no record: there is no reliable public evidence either way, so the criterion is left out and never counts against the candidate. A total is published when at least 8 of 15 criteria have evidence.
A sitting officeholder has a longer public record than a first-time candidate, so the two totals rest on different amounts of evidence. Read the count of criteria beside each score. Low marks require an official finding or a primary record. Allegations and opinion are not used.
No policy position is scored. Evidence checked October 9, 2026. Campaigns and readers can send a correction with a public source to tpg@thepoliticalgroup.com.
Questions
Who should I vote for in Illinois's 11th Congressional District?
Bill Foster has the strongest record in Illinois's 11th Congressional District. Bill Foster scores 69 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, ahead of Jeff Walter at 53, as of October 9, 2026. Bill Foster's highest marks are relevant experience and command of the job. Jeff Walter's highest marks are relevant experience. Every score comes from public records on character, qualifications and performance, the same way for every party.
Who is running in Illinois's 11th Congressional District in 2026?
Bill Foster (Democratic, incumbent), Jeff Walter (Republican). The general election is November 3, 2026.
Is Bill Foster a good candidate for Congress?
Bill Foster scores 69 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, with public evidence on 13 of 15 criteria: character 56 of 100, qualifications 80 of 100, performance 69 of 100. The standard measures character, qualifications and performance, not policy positions.
Is Jeff Walter a good candidate for Congress?
Jeff Walter scores 53 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, with public evidence on 8 of 15 criteria: character 50 of 100, qualifications 56 of 100, performance no record. The standard measures character, qualifications and performance, not policy positions.
How is the strongest record decided?
The candidate with the highest Ballot Standard score has the strongest record. Each of 15 criteria on character, qualifications and performance is scored 0 to 4 from public records and established reporting, the same way for every party. No policy position is scored, and unresolved accusations never move a score.
More on this race: every Illinois race scored, and the Illinois 2026 election guide. Independent scorecard by The Political Group, not affiliated with any candidate or party.