U.S. House, Illinois 6th Congressional District · Election November 3, 2026 · Updated
Who should I vote for in Illinois's 6th Congressional District?
Sean Casten has the strongest record in Illinois's 6th Congressional District. Sean Casten scores 64 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, as of October 9, 2026. Sean Casten's highest marks are relevant experience and accountability. Niki Conforti (7 of 15 criteria) has too little public record to score. Every score comes from public records on character, qualifications and performance, the same way for every party.
Democratic · incumbent
Strongest record
Sean Casten
64 / 100
Public evidence on 14 of 15 criteria
- Character
- 55
- Qualifications
- 75
- Performance
- 63
Republican
Niki Conforti
Not enough public record for a score
Public evidence on 7 of 15 criteria
- Character
- 50
- Qualifications
- 60
- 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.
Sean Casten
- Mark against2024
Filed transaction reports on Jan. 16 and Aug. 9, 2024 disclosing Myno Carbon Corp purchases by his family investment firm made 109 to 935 days earlier, past the STOCK Act's 45-day deadline.
Sources: House Clerk periodic transaction report 20023805, House Clerk periodic transaction report 20025384, Newsweek, Sept. 2024
- On the record2024-07-19
Publicly called on President Joe Biden, the Democratic nominee, to withdraw from the 2024 presidential race.
Sources: ABC7 Chicago, July 19, 2024, WTTW News, July 19, 2024
- On the record2024-12-03
Introduced privileged resolutions in late 2024 to force the House Ethics Committee to release its report on former Rep. Matt Gaetz.
- Credit2025-04-24
Held open in-person town halls in Downers Grove in March 2025 and Evergreen Park in April 2025; police ended the first early after protests.
Sources: Chicago Tribune, April 24, 2025, Shaw Local, March 21, 2025
- Credit2020-12-27
His Clean Industrial Technology Act (H.R. 4230) was enacted as part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021.
Niki Conforti
No notable items confirmed in news archives or public documents.
Who they are
Character
Integrity
Tells the truth, keeps their word, and takes no private gain from public office.
Sean Casten. His 2025 annual financial disclosure was filed Aug. 10, 2026. No House Ethics Committee matter or FEC administrative fine found. Two 2024 transaction reports disclosed family-firm purchases past the 45-day deadline; see the Record.
Sources: House Clerk financial disclosure, Filing ID 10076925, House Committee on Ethics site search for Casten, FEC administrative fines search
Niki Conforti. Campaign reports are on file with the FEC through June 30, 2026 and a House candidate financial disclosure was filed May 8, 2026. No FEC administrative fine found.
Sources: FEC candidate page, House Clerk candidate financial disclosure, Filing ID 10077181, FEC administrative fines search
Courage
Takes a stand that costs them something, including telling their own side no.
Sean Casten. On July 19, 2024 he publicly called on President Biden, his party's leader and nominee, to withdraw from the 2024 race.
Sources: ABC7 Chicago, July 19, 2024, WTTW News, July 19, 2024
Niki Conforti. No public record found.
Accountability
Owns mistakes, answers hard questions, and works in the open.
Sean Casten. Held open in-person town halls in Downers Grove in March 2025 and Evergreen Park in April 2025, the second with a question session for about 100 attendees.
Sources: Chicago Tribune, April 24, 2025, Shaw Local, March 21, 2025
Niki Conforti. Gave interviews to the Daily Herald on the issues in the 2026 primary and lists public events, including a town hall meeting, on her campaign site. No 2026 general election debate record found.
Sources: Shaw Local (Daily Herald), Feb. 19, 2026, Campaign site, Events
Temperament and judgment
Steady under pressure, decides on evidence, and treats opponents and staff with respect.
Sean Casten. Has served in the U.S. House since January 2019 after two decades running clean energy companies. No censure, reprimand or House Ethics Committee finding found.
Sources: GovTrack, Sean Casten, House Committee on Ethics site search for Casten
Niki Conforti. No public record found.
Fidelity to the oath
Uses power inside its limits: accepts certified results, obeys court rulings, follows the rules of the office.
Sean Casten. 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
Niki Conforti. No public record found.
What they bring
Qualifications
Relevant experience
Has done work that prepares them for this specific office.
Sean Casten. In the U.S. House since 2019, seeking a fifth term; previously president and CEO of Turbosteam Corporation and co-founder of Recycled Energy Development.
Sources: Shaw Local questionnaire, Sept. 23, 2026, Campaign site, About
Niki Conforti. Energy consultant since 2017; previously 12 years in health system administration and owner of a staffing business. Has not held public office.
Sources: Shaw Local questionnaire, Feb. 7, 2026, Campaign site, Meet Niki
Command of the job
Knows the issues and knows what the office can and cannot do.
Sean Casten. Serves on the Financial Services Committee, where he is vice ranking member, and the Joint Economic Committee; names specific bills on energy costs in a 2026 questionnaire.
Sources: GovTrack, committee membership, Campaign site, About, Shaw Local questionnaire, Sept. 23, 2026
Niki Conforti. Publishes an issues page and questionnaire answers with positions on health care, the debt ceiling, the economy, education and elections, mostly in general terms.
Sources: Campaign site, Issues, Shaw Local questionnaire, Feb. 7, 2026
Communication
Explains plainly, persuades, and listens.
Sean Casten. Answered the Shaw Local 2026 questionnaire, offers a newsletter, holds in-person town halls, and publishes issue pages.
Sources: Shaw Local questionnaire, Sept. 23, 2026, Office site, home page, Chicago Tribune, April 24, 2025
Niki Conforti. Completed Ballotpedia's 2026 Candidate Connection survey and the Shaw Local 2026 questionnaire, and publishes an issues page.
Sources: Ballotpedia, Niki Conforti, Shaw Local questionnaire, Feb. 7, 2026, Campaign site, Issues
Roots in the constituency
Lives there, knows the people, and is funded by them.
Sean Casten. Lives in Downers Grove, in the district, and moved to Illinois in 2007; has represented the district since 2019. FEC by-state totals show about 71 percent of itemized individual contributions from Illinois.
Sources: Campaign site, About, FEC contribution totals by state
Niki Conforti. Lists Wheaton as her city and says she has lived in the 6th District most of her life. FEC by-state totals show about 52 percent of itemized individual contributions from Illinois.
Sources: Shaw Local questionnaire, Feb. 7, 2026, FEC contribution totals by state
Management
Can build and run an organization.
Sean Casten. 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
Niki Conforti. 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.
Sean Casten. Legislative Effectiveness Score meets expectations in the 118th Congress (0.277 against a 0.530 benchmark). His Clean Industrial Technology Act was enacted in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021.
Sources: Center for Effective Lawmaking House dataset, 93rd to 118th Congress, GovTrack, H.R. 4230 (116th Congress)
Niki Conforti. No public record found.
Showing up
Does the basic work of the job.
Sean Casten. Missed 46 of 3,869 roll call votes, 1.2 percent, from January 2019 to September 2026.
Source: GovTrack, missed votes
Niki Conforti. No public record found.
Constituent service
Solves problems for the people they represent.
Sean Casten. Runs district offices in Lombard and Oak Forest and publishes casework totals: 8,840 cases resolved and $6 million returned to constituents.
Source: Office site, home page
Niki Conforti. No public record found.
Coalition building
Wins support beyond their own faction.
Sean Casten. Lugar Center Bipartisan Index score of -1.11202 in the latest posted House scores (118th Congress, 2023), ranked 355 of 436, in the bottom quarter.
Source: Lugar Center and McCourt School Bipartisan Index, House Scores
Niki Conforti. No public record found.
Stewardship of public money
Treats tax dollars as someone else's money.
Sean Casten. No public record found.
Niki Conforti. 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 6th Congressional District?
Sean Casten has the strongest record in Illinois's 6th Congressional District. Sean Casten scores 64 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, as of October 9, 2026. Sean Casten's highest marks are relevant experience and accountability. Niki Conforti (7 of 15 criteria) has too little public record to score. Every score comes from public records on character, qualifications and performance, the same way for every party.
Who is running in Illinois's 6th Congressional District in 2026?
Sean Casten (Democratic, incumbent), Niki Conforti (Republican). The general election is November 3, 2026.
Is Sean Casten a good candidate for Congress?
Sean Casten scores 64 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, with public evidence on 14 of 15 criteria: character 55 of 100, qualifications 75 of 100, performance 63 of 100. The standard measures character, qualifications and performance, not policy positions.
Is Niki Conforti a good candidate for Congress?
Niki Conforti has public evidence on 7 of the 15 Ballot Standard criteria, short of the 8 needed for a score. The evidence that exists is shown on the scorecard. No record never counts against a candidate.
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.