U.S. House, Illinois 17th Congressional District · Election November 3, 2026 · Updated
Who should I vote for in Illinois's 17th Congressional District?
Eric Sorensen has the strongest record in Illinois's 17th Congressional District. Eric Sorensen scores 66 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, ahead of Dillan Vancil at 53, as of October 9, 2026. Eric Sorensen's highest marks are relevant experience and coalition building. Dillan Vancil's highest marks are relevant experience and communication. Every score comes from public records on character, qualifications and performance, the same way for every party.
Democratic · incumbent
Strongest record
Eric Sorensen
66 / 100
Public evidence on 14 of 15 criteria
- Character
- 55
- Qualifications
- 75
- Performance
- 69
Republican
Dillan Vancil
On the ballot as Dillan S. Vancil
53 / 100
Public evidence on 8 of 15 criteria
- Character
- 50
- Qualifications
- 55
- 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.
Eric Sorensen
- On the record2025-01-07
Was among 48 House Democrats who joined all Republicans in voting for the Laken Riley Act while Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries voted Nay.
- On the record2024-07-11
Publicly called on President Joe Biden, the leader of his party, to end his reelection campaign.
Source: WGLT, July 11, 2024
- Credit2024-07-30
His All-American Flag Act, requiring federal agencies to buy U.S.-made flags, was enacted through its Senate companion, signed July 30, 2024.
- Credit2023-2026
His office reports helping more than 1,800 constituents and returning $3.2 million through casework.
Dillan Vancil
- On the record2026-08
Said in an August 2026 campaign video he was greeted by 'a dozen homeless individuals' at the Galesburg Public Library; he later told TSPR he 'over-exaggerated' and apologized.
Source: TSPR, Aug. 18, 2026
- Creditbefore 2026
Served on the West Central School Board, including as vice president, and founded Dame Fine Coffee, a chain of shops in west central Illinois and eastern Iowa.
Sources: TSPR candidate questionnaire, Feb. 13, 2026, TSPR, Aug. 12, 2025
Who they are
Character
Integrity
Tells the truth, keeps their word, and takes no private gain from public office.
Eric Sorensen. Annual financial disclosure for 2025 filed Aug. 4, 2026; no periodic transaction reports on the Clerk index. No House Ethics Committee matter or FEC administrative fine found.
Sources: House Clerk financial disclosure, Filing ID 10074927, House Committee on Ethics site search for Sorensen, FEC administrative fines search
Dillan Vancil. Campaign reports are on file with the FEC through June 30, 2026, and a House candidate financial disclosure was filed May 15, 2026. No FEC administrative fine found.
Sources: FEC candidate page, House Clerk candidate financial disclosure, Filing ID 10076721, FEC administrative fines search
Courage
Takes a stand that costs them something, including telling their own side no.
Eric Sorensen. Voted for the Laken Riley Act in 2024 and 2025 and for the February 2024 standalone Israel aid bill when Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries voted no, and in July 2024 publicly called on President Biden to drop out.
Sources: House Clerk Roll Call 6, Jan. 7, 2025 (Laken Riley Act), House Clerk Roll Call 38, Feb. 6, 2024 (Israel Security Supplemental), WGLT, July 11, 2024
Dillan Vancil. No public record found.
Accountability
Owns mistakes, answers hard questions, and works in the open.
Eric Sorensen. Held an in-person town hall in Peoria in April 2025 attended by more than 100 people, and holds telephone town halls. No 2026 general election debate with Dillan Vancil found.
Sources: WMBD via Yahoo News, April 23, 2025, 25News Now, April 22, 2025
Dillan Vancil. No public record found.
Temperament and judgment
Steady under pressure, decides on evidence, and treats opponents and staff with respect.
Eric Sorensen. Worked nearly two decades as a TV meteorologist in Rockford and the Quad Cities before Congress in 2023. No censure, reprimand or House Ethics Committee matter found.
Sources: Ballotpedia, Eric Sorensen, House Committee on Ethics site search for Sorensen
Dillan Vancil. Former railroad engineer and union legislative director who founded a chain of coffee shops and served on the West Central School Board. No formal conduct finding found.
Sources: TSPR, Aug. 12, 2025, TSPR candidate questionnaire, Feb. 13, 2026
Fidelity to the oath
Uses power inside its limits: accepts certified results, obeys court rulings, follows the rules of the office.
Eric Sorensen. Has held a House seat since January 2023, after the January 2021 electoral count. No official finding of misuse of office found.
Sources: GovTrack, Eric Sorensen, House Committee on Ethics site search for Sorensen
Dillan Vancil. Served on the elected West Central School Board, a sworn local office, with no official finding of misuse of office.
Source: Ballotpedia, Dillan Vancil
What they bring
Qualifications
Relevant experience
Has done work that prepares them for this specific office.
Eric Sorensen. In the U.S. House since January 2023, completing a second term, after a career as a broadcast meteorologist.
Sources: GovTrack, Eric Sorensen, Ballotpedia, Eric Sorensen
Dillan Vancil. Prior elected office on the West Central School Board, including as vice president; founder and CEO of a coffee chain and a former railroad engineer.
Command of the job
Knows the issues and knows what the office can and cannot do.
Eric Sorensen. Serves on the Agriculture and Armed Services committees, including the Readiness and Tactical Air and Land Forces subcommittees; holds no chair or ranking post.
Source: GovTrack, committee membership
Dillan Vancil. States positions on energy, small business, interest rates and spending in general terms.
Source: WGLT, Oct. 1, 2026
Communication
Explains plainly, persuades, and listens.
Eric Sorensen. Offers an email newsletter, holds telephone town halls, publishes issue pages and answered questions in WGLT's 2026 candidate series. Has not completed Ballotpedia's 2026 survey.
Sources: Office site, home page, WGLT, May 23, 2023, WGLT, Oct. 1, 2026, Ballotpedia, Eric Sorensen
Dillan Vancil. Answered the TSPR primary questionnaire, took part in WGLT's 2026 candidate series and publishes positions on his campaign site. Has not completed Ballotpedia's 2026 survey.
Sources: TSPR candidate questionnaire, Feb. 13, 2026, WGLT, Oct. 1, 2026, Campaign site, home page, Ballotpedia, Dillan Vancil
Roots in the constituency
Lives there, knows the people, and is funded by them.
Eric Sorensen. Born in Rockford and lives in Moline, both in the district, after nearly two decades as a local meteorologist there. About 46 percent of itemized individual contributions this cycle came from Illinois.
Sources: Ballotpedia, Eric Sorensen, WGLT, May 23, 2023, FEC contribution totals by state
Dillan Vancil. His FEC statement of candidacy lists a home address in Gladstone, Henderson County, which lies wholly in the 15th District; TSPR reports he lives west of Monmouth. About 91 percent of itemized individual contributions came from Illinois.
Sources: FEC Form 2, statement of candidacy, Nov. 29, 2024, TSPR, Aug. 12, 2025, FEC contribution totals by state
Management
Can build and run an organization.
Eric Sorensen. 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
Dillan Vancil. 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.
Eric Sorensen. Legislative Effectiveness Score of 0.211 in the 118th Congress against a benchmark of 0.522, below expectations. Raised to 2 under E14: his All-American Flag Act was enacted through its Senate companion, signed July 30, 2024.
Sources: Center for Effective Lawmaking House dataset, 93rd to 118th Congress, GovTrack, H.R. 6206 (118th Congress)
Dillan Vancil. No public record found.
Showing up
Does the basic work of the job.
Eric Sorensen. Missed 65 of 1,917 roll call votes, 3.4 percent, from January 2023 to September 2026.
Source: GovTrack, missed votes
Dillan Vancil. No public record found.
Constituent service
Solves problems for the people they represent.
Eric Sorensen. Publishes casework totals: more than 1,800 constituents helped and $3.2 million returned. Runs district offices in Rockford, Rock Island and Peoria.
Sources: Office site, Constituent Success Stories, Office site, Office Locations
Dillan Vancil. No public record found.
Coalition building
Wins support beyond their own faction.
Eric Sorensen. Lugar Center Bipartisan Index score of 0.30044 in the latest posted House scores (118th Congress, 2023), ranked 80 of 436, in the top quarter.
Source: Lugar Center and McCourt School Bipartisan Index, House Scores
Dillan Vancil. No public record found.
Stewardship of public money
Treats tax dollars as someone else's money.
Eric Sorensen. No public record found.
Dillan Vancil. 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 17th Congressional District?
Eric Sorensen has the strongest record in Illinois's 17th Congressional District. Eric Sorensen scores 66 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, ahead of Dillan Vancil at 53, as of October 9, 2026. Eric Sorensen's highest marks are relevant experience and coalition building. Dillan Vancil's highest marks are relevant experience and communication. Every score comes from public records on character, qualifications and performance, the same way for every party.
Who is running in Illinois's 17th Congressional District in 2026?
Eric Sorensen (Democratic, incumbent), Dillan Vancil (Republican). The general election is November 3, 2026.
Is Eric Sorensen a good candidate for Congress?
Eric Sorensen scores 66 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, with public evidence on 14 of 15 criteria: character 55 of 100, qualifications 75 of 100, performance 69 of 100. The standard measures character, qualifications and performance, not policy positions.
Is Dillan Vancil a good candidate for Congress?
Dillan Vancil scores 53 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, with public evidence on 8 of 15 criteria: character 50 of 100, qualifications 55 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.