Juliana Stratton Wins Illinois Senate Democratic Primary, Defeating Raja Krishnamoorthi

Juliana Stratton won Tuesday's Democratic primary for U.S. Senate in Illinois, defeating two sitting members of Congress to advance to the November general election.

With 82% of primary votes counted, Stratton garnered 39.6% of the vote compared to 33.4% for Krishnamoorthi and about 18.5% for Robin Kelly, according to unofficial results reported by the Daily Herald.

ABC7 Chicago

Stratton's victory came as a surprise given Krishnamoorthi's significant fundraising advantage and was seen as a triumph for Gov. JB Pritzker, whose name has been floated as a 2028 presidential contender, according to ABC7 Chicago.

Stratton will face Republican nominee Don Tracy, former state party chair, in what is expected to be a straightforward general election in this heavily Democratic state, as noted by multiple sources including Associated Press News and The Seattle Times.

The Illinois Senate primary was marked by furious fundraising and sharp elbows, testing the influence of Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker in a race where money played a decisive role.

Krishnamoorthi dominated fundraising and the airwaves, starting 2026 with over $15 million on hand after spending more than $6 million and raising more than $3.5 million in the final three months of 2025, according to campaign finance records reported by ABC7 Chicago.

ABC7 Chicago

By comparison, Stratton started the year with just $1 million, but received a crucial boost when Pritzker put $5 million into Illinois Future PAC, which spent about $6.3 million on ads supporting Stratton or opposing Krishnamoorthi, as noted by WIFR Rockford.

CoinDesk reported that Krishnamoorthi had received close to $10 million in backing from crypto super-political action committee (PAC) Fairshake, which largely attacked Stratton rather than supporting Krishnamoorthi directly.

The Washington Examiner noted that overall, Krishnamoorthi brought in just under $30 million, with Stratton raising $4 million, making Stratton's win all the more surprising given the financial disparity.

The primary contest featured sharp ideological divides and key policy questions that separated the candidates, particularly around immigration enforcement and economic policy.

“Jesse Jackson, who died last month”

Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

Stratton positioned herself as the progressive alternative in the race, calling directly for the abolishment of ICE while campaigning on a platform to increase the federal minimum wage to $25 per hour from $7.25, according to The Guardian and CNBC.

Krishnamoorthi, who has called to dismantle the agency, took a more nuanced approach, referring to abolishing 'Trump's ICE' in late-game ads across the state, as reported by The Guardian.

Daijiworld noted that the race was framed as a power struggle between Krishnamoorthi and Pritzker, who threw his support behind Stratton, his long-time political ally, and spent about $5 million of his personal wealth backing her candidacy.

Stratton's campaign also benefited from endorsements from top Democrats including Sen. Tammy Duckworth and capitalized on her statewide experience as Lieutenant Governor since 2019, as highlighted by MyStateline.

Stratton's victory carries significant implications for both the Democratic Party's direction and the broader political landscape, particularly as the party faces potential leadership changes in the Senate.

If elected in November — and in deep-blue Illinois, she is the heavy favorite against GOP nominee Don Tracy — Stratton would bring more progressive energy to the Senate as Democrats face what could be a changing of the guard, according to CNN.

Associated Press News

At 60 years old, Stratton would become the sixth Black woman to serve in the Senate, following Carol Moseley Braun who endorsed her in the contest, as noted by Politico.

The race also tested the influence of outside groups, with mixed results: candidates backed by pro-Israel and pro-cryptocurrency groups won some key races but lost others, leaving many of the party's long-running debates over its path forward largely unsettled, as reported by CNN.

Stratton's victory speech reflected her progressive vision, telling supporters that 'we will fight for Medicare for all, we will fight to abolish ICE, we'll fight for a real living wage,' and 'we will fight to defend our rights and claw our democracy back from the brink,' according to The Guardian.