Illinois Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton faces Don Tracy for U.S. Senate seat
The gist
Illinois voters choose a successor to retiring Sen. Dick Durbin, with Lt. Gov.
A Stratton win would make her the second Black woman to represent Illinois in the Senate.
How it unfolded
- Jan 16, 2026A PAC tied to Gov. JB Pritzker launched its first TV and digital ad supporting Stratton's Senate campaign; the ad was updated after Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi's campaign noted it appeared to violate federal campaign finance law by not disclosing it was unauthorized by Stratton.
- Mar 17, 2026Stratton won Illinois' Democratic Senate primary, defeating Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi and Rep. Robin Kelly.
- late September 2026A Public Policy Polling poll projected Stratton ahead by 13 points.