Illinois residents soon have a big choice to make: who should represent them in the U.S. Senate for the next six years?

And because Illinois is such a heavily blue state — all eyes are on the Democratic primary in the race to replace longtime retiring US Senator Dick Durbin.

The three leading candidates — two congresspeople and the state’s lieutenant governor — have each spent years in elected office themselves.

WBEZ’s Mawa Iqbal and Mariah Woelfel have more on who they are and what they’re promising. Mawa starts us off.

HOST: DEGMAN