Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton wins Illinois Democratic Senate primary

Democratic Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton of Illinois is a giant step closer to becoming only the fifth Black woman in the nation’s history to be elected to the Senate.

Stratton on Tuesday edged out his two top rivals, Reps. Raja Krishnamoorthi and Robin Kelly, among a crowded field of candidates in the contentious and wildly expensive Democratic Senate primary, the Associated Press reported.

Stratton, a former state lawmaker who served two terms as lieutenant governor under Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker, will now be considered the clear leader in blue-leaning Illinois to replace Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin, who is retiring at the end of the year after three decades in the Senate.

PRITZKER FLEXIBLES POLITICAL POWER IN ILLINOIS SENATE PREVIOUS TERM

The Democratic Senate primaries, as well as the down-ballot battles for four open House seats in the Chicago area, were hotbeds of contentious party disagreements over combating illegal immigration and policy toward Israel, how best to push back against President Donald Trump’s unprecedented second-term agenda, and generational struggles among Democrats.

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Krishnamoorthi, who was born in India and immigrated to the United States with his family as a child, was a clear frontrunner in fundraising in the Democratic primary and spent big money on advertising. And a super PAC funded by crypto giants has spent nearly $10 million supporting Krishnamoorthi.

Democratic U.S. Senate primary candidates U.S. Representatives Robin Kelly and Raja Krishnamoorthi and Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton take the stage for a debate at the University of Chicago on January 26, 2026. (Terrence Antonio James/Chicago Tribune/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)

But Stratton was backed by Pritzker, who had a lot at stake in the Senate primaries.

That’s because the billionaire governor and potential 2028 White House candidate, who aims to become the first three-term Democrat to lead the nation’s sixth most populous state, dipped into his massive war chest to dole out millions to fund a super PAC backing Stratton and failed to oppose his party’s nomination.

Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker of Illinois has heavily endorsed Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton in the state’s 2026 Democratic Senate primary. (Scott Olson/Getty Images)

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The Senate primaries were seen as a test of Pritzker’s political clout in Illinois as he prepares for a possible 2028 presidential run. The governor has seen his national profile soar over the past 14 months as he has become a top Democrat leading the resistance against Trump.