Deborah "Debbie" Halvorson

Party: Democrat

Age: 50

Home: Crete

Family: Husband Jim; four children.

Education: Secretarial certificate, Robert Morris College; associate's degree, Prairie State College; bachelor's and master's degrees in communications from Governor's State University.

Experience: State senator, 1997 to present, and current senate majority leader; former Crete Township Clerk; also has been a cosmetics saleswoman and stay-at-home mother.

Martin "Marty" Ozinga III

Party: Republican

Age: 58

Home: Will County

Family: Wife, Ruth, and six sons

Education: Bachelor's degree, Calvin College.

Experience: President, Ozinga Bros., a family company specializing in concrete that has been around for 80 years and has more than 1,000 employees.

Jason Wallace

Party: Green Party

Age: 26

Home: Normal

Family: Single

Education: Bachelor's degree, Illinois State University; associate's degree, Community College of the Air Force and Heartland Community College.

Experience: Served in the Illinois Air National Guard