Democrats have been running the board in Illinois for the past several election cycles.

But if history is a guide, midterm elections like the one being held on Nov. 8 can be a referendum on the party that holds the White House as much as it is about the candidates appearing on the ballot.

So can Illinois Republicans regain any of the ground they’ve lost?

Let’s look at the races near the top of your ballot to see if they can.

Illinois Governor

At this point, you might already know that State Sen. Darren Bailey, R-Xenia, is challenging Democratic incumbent Gov. JB Pritzker. Maybe you’ve seen Pritzker’s TV ads labeling Bailey, a downstate farmer who has been endorsed by former President Donald Trump, as too extreme for Illinois. Or the ads a conservative group has been airing questioning Pritzker’s crime policies.

The bottom line: The two candidates couldn’t be further apart on virtually every issue — from how to reduce crime to gun control to abortion to economic issues. WBEZ and the Chicago Sun-Times dug into the records of both Pritzker and Bailey and whether they succeeded in making change on issues they care about.

A recent WBEZ/Chicago Sun-Times poll found Pritzker with a large lead over Bailey. But the only poll that matters is the voter turnout. And, hey, surprises happen. Just look at Democratic New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, who is in a mostly blue state but barely won election last year over a conservative Republican.

Constitutional Amendment

Should the Illinois constitution be changed to include the right of workers to collectively bargain? That’s the question you’ll see at the top of your ballot.

State and federal laws already allow for most workers in Illinois to unionize. But, some groups not covered by the National Labor Relations Act include agriculture workers, independent contractors and public sector workers. Under the proposed amendment, all workers in the state would gain the constitutional right to bargain collectively for better wages, hours and working conditions.

The initiative also seeks to prevent these rights from changing or going away in the future. Put simply, passing this amendment would prevent Illinois from becoming a “right to work” state, in which a worker cannot be compelled to join a union as a condition of employment.

Critics of the amendment argue it would give unions too much power over their employers and would reduce the rights of lawmakers to be a check on that power. WBEZ’s Alex Degman unpacked the issue.

Illinois Supreme Court

Republicans have a chance at winning back the majority of seats on the state Supreme Court in this election. Two seats are up for grabs in the collar counties. DuPage, Will and counties southwest of Chicago will vote in one district. While Lake, McHenry, Kane, DeKalb and Kendall Counties vote on another seat.

Democrats have warned that losing control of the state’s highest court would risk rolling back Illinois’ current laws that protect abortion and certain gun control measures. WBEZ’s Dave McKinney dug into the differences in the campaigns and what’s at stake.