Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton wins the Illinois Democratic Senate primary

Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton wins the Illinois Democratic Senate primary Lt. Gov. Democrat Juliana Stratton of Illinois is now one big step closer to becoming only the fifth black woman elected to the Senate in state history.

Stratton on Tuesday won the position of Reps.

Stratton, a former state attorney who has served two terms as lieutenant governor under Gov. JB Pritzker, a fellow Democrat, is now considered the frontrunner in blue-leaning Illinois to take over for Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin, who will retire at the end of the year after three decades in the Senate.

PRITZKER FLEXES POLITICAL MUSCLES IN ILLINOIS’ SENATE PRIMARY

The Democratic Senate primary battles, as well as down-vote battles for Chicago’s open House seats, were at the center of the party’s disagreements over anti-illegal immigration and policy toward Israel, how best to reverse President Donald Trump’s unprecedented second-term agenda, and ongoing struggles among Democrats.

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Krishnamoorthi, who was born in India and moved to the US with his family as a child, was a leading fundraiser in the Democratic primary, and spent big on ads. And a super PAC funded by crypto titans has donated nearly 10 million to support Krishnamoorthi.

The main contenders for the US Senate. Robin Kelly and Raja Krishnamoorthi, and Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton joined the debate on Jan. 26, 2026, at the University of Chicago. (Terrence Antonio James/Chicago Tribune/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)

But Stratton had the support of Pritzker, who had a majority in the Senate primary.

Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton wins the Illinois Democratic Senate primary

That’s because the billionaire governor and 2028 White House candidate, unopposed for his party’s nomination as he seeks to become the first Democrat to serve three terms at the helm of the sixth most populous state, has tapped into his massive war chest to shell out millions to fund Stratton’s pro-Stratton super PAC.

Democratic Government. JB Pritzker of Illinois strongly supported Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton in the 2026 Democratic state Senate primary. (Scott Olson/Getty Images)

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The Senate primary has been viewed as a test of Pritzker’s political power in Illinois as he prepares to run for president in 2028. The governor has seen his national profile rise dramatically over the past 14 months as he has become the top Democrat leading the opposition to Trump.