WE DID IT.

With your support, your conversations, your time, and your belief in this campaign, we won our primary and are officially headed to the general election.

I am so deeply grateful.

Campaigns can sometimes get reduced to headlines, vote totals, or political strategy. But on the ground, they are always about people. They are about neighbors showing up for one another. They are about shared values. They are about deciding what kind of future we want to build together.

That is what this primary meant to me.

Yes, it was an important milestone. But more than that, it was a signal that people across District 27 are ready for leadership that is rooted in compassion, accountability, and real connection to the everyday realities families are facing.

Because the truth is, too many people are stretched thin right now.

Families are feeling the pressure of rising costs. Parents are balancing work, child care, and school concerns. Young people are navigating a world that asks a lot of them while offering too little support. Communities want safety, stability, and investment — not empty talking points. These are not abstract issues. They are real, lived experiences, and they deserve real leadership. Carina’s platform centers on economic affordability, affordable housing and safe communities, education equity, health and mental health access, and stronger government accountability. That is why this campaign matters.

Winning the primary does not mean the work is done. It means the work becomes even more important.

It means we now have the opportunity to bring this conversation to even more people across District 27. It means we get to keep making the case for a government that sees people clearly and responds to what they are actually living through. It means we continue building momentum around a vision for our district that includes:

Affordability that reflects real life

People should not have to do everything “right” and still feel like they are falling behind. We need policies that support working families, expand access to child care, protect labor rights, and make everyday life more affordable. Carina’s issues document specifically calls for stronger paid leave protections, affordable child care, and tax policy that supports middle- and lower-income families.

Strong schools and real support for students

Public schools matter. Students, families, and educators deserve investment, not neglect. That includes equitable school funding, mental health support, and a commitment to public education that serves every community well. The campaign platform specifically supports full public school funding and mental health and social-emotional supports.

Safer communities built on prevention and care

Safety matters. But real safety is not built through fear alone. It is built through stable housing, thoughtful investment, trauma-informed approaches, and policies that address root causes instead of only reacting after harm is done. The platform includes affordable and workforce housing, housing-first responses to homelessness, and crisis response alternatives.

Access to mental health care and community well-being

Mental health is not secondary. It is foundational. People deserve access to care, especially young people, families in crisis, and communities too often pushed to the margins. Carina’s platform supports expanding Medicaid access and investing in community-based behavioral health services.

Accountability in government

People deserve leaders who listen, collaborate, and stay connected to the communities they represent. Government should work with local communities, not talk over them. The campaign platform calls for greater transparency, stronger collaboration between state and local government, and protecting local empowerment.

That is what is at stake in the general election.

This next chapter will be louder. It will be more visible. It will likely be more competitive. That is how general elections work. But I also believe it can be more powerful, because now we have the chance to grow what we have already started together.

A campaign like this is never about one person alone. It is about all of us — our families, our neighborhoods, our schools, and the future we want to build in District 27.

So when I say the primary matters, I do not just mean because we won. I mean it matters because it showed what is possible when people come together around shared values and a bigger vision for their community.

It matters because it proved that people are ready to organize, to participate, and to fight for a future that feels more just, more responsive, and more humane.

And it matters because now, we keep going.

If you have already been part of this campaign, thank you. If you are just joining us now, welcome. There is still so much work to do, and there is absolutely a place for you in it.

Volunteer. Donate. Host. Share. Talk to your neighbors. Stay engaged.

Because every conversation matters. Every action matters. Every person matters.

And together, we are building something worth fighting for.

THIS WEEK IN THE 27TH…

Congratulations to the primary winners featured here — Daniel Biss in the 9th Congressional District, Demi Palecek in the 13th House District, and Julianna Stratton for U.S. Senate. It was an honor to celebrate alongside fellow Democratic leaders who are stepping up to serve their communities at such an important moment. I’m grateful to be in this work with people who care deeply about building a stronger, more compassionate future for Illinois, and I’m excited for all that lies ahead.

Thank you to everyone who continues to show up, speak up, and invest in the work of shaping our shared future. I’m deeply grateful to be on this journey with you.

Let’s keep going—because together, we’re stronger.

With gratitude,

Carina Santa Maria

Candidate for Illinois State Senate, District 27

What this Primary Win Means for District 27