Michael W. Frerichs, the Democratic incumbent Illinois state treasurer, is running for a fourth term in the Nov. 3, 2026, general election. He faces Republican Max Solomon.
North Shore voters will see the race on their ballots. Frerichs has held the office since 2015. He is the 74th person to serve as Illinois state treasurer, according to the treasurer's office website. He began his current third term in January 2023.
Candidate information
- Name: Michael W. Frerichs
- Party: Democratic
- Office sought: Illinois State Treasurer
- Election date: Nov. 3, 2026
- Opponent: Max Solomon (Republican)
- Born: July 28, 1973
- Hometown: Gifford, Illinois, a small downstate farming community
- Education: Rantoul Township High School (1991); bachelor's degree, Yale University (1995); studied Mandarin Chinese at National Cheng Kung University in Taiwan
- Family background: Son of a Teamster truck driver and a university secretary who was an AFSCME member. First-generation college graduate, according to the treasurer's office.
Experience and public service
Frerichs built a career in local and state government before winning the treasurer's office.
He served on the Champaign County Board from 2000 to 2002, then as Champaign County auditor from 2002 to 2007. He became a Certified Public Finance Officer during his time as auditor, according to the treasurer's office.
He represented District 52 in the Illinois State Senate from 2007 to 2015. He chaired the Agriculture and Conservation Committee and the Committee on Higher Education during his senate tenure, according to the treasurer's office.
He was first elected treasurer in November 2014 and has been re-elected twice since.
Beyond the statehouse, Frerichs served as president of the National Association of State Auditors, Comptrollers, and Treasurers in 2022 and 2023. He served as president of the National Association of State Treasurers in 2024. He also serves as vice chair of the Illinois State Board of Investment, according to the treasurer's office.
Earlier in his career, Frerichs taught English in Taiwan, founded a technology start-up in Champaign County and volunteered as a local firefighter, according to the treasurer's office.
Endorsements
Frerichs has received endorsements from the AFL-CIO, the Chicago Federation of Labour, the Cook County Democrats, the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 134, the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 399, Equality IL and Citizen Action Illinois, according to BallotReady data.
Editor's note: Several additional endorsements, including the Illinois Federation of Teachers, Personal PAC, IUOE Local 150, Illinois NOW PAC, the Italian American Political Coalition, the St. Clair County Democrats and the United Hellenic Voters of America, were recorded during Frerichs' 2022 campaign and have not been verified for the 2026 race.
This profile was built from publicly available information, the Illinois State Treasurer's office website and BallotReady data. No candidate questionnaire responses were available. North Shore Weekly will update this profile if the candidate provides additional information.
