On April 23, 2025, incumbent Senator
Dick Durbin, who has held the seat since 1997, announced he would not seek re-election. The following day,
Lieutenant Governor Juliana Stratton launched her campaign with the immediate endorsement of
Governor JB Pritzker. Reports soon emerged that Pritzker and his allies were attempting to discourage other prominent Democrats from entering the race, particularly
U.S. Representatives Raja Krishnamoorthi,
Robin Kelly, and
Lauren Underwood, though Pritzker denied the claims. Kelly announced her candidacy on May 6, Krishnamoorthi emphasized his experience on the
House Intelligence Committee and focused on foreign policy and economic mobility, while Stratton benefited from substantial financial backing from Pritzker and
his family. Stratton pledged not to accept corporate PAC donations, although she accepted individual contributions from billionaires, whereas Krishnamoorthi and Kelly accepted corporate PAC support. The campaign featured sharp exchanges over ties to
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). By December 2025, Krishnamoorthi had raised $24 million, including donations linked to associates of
President Donald Trump,
Palantir, and
The Heritage Foundation. Meanwhile, the
Democratic Lieutenant Governors Association, which supported Stratton, received funding from
CoreCivic, another ICE contractor. The
Associated Press and the
Chicago Tribune called the race for Stratton on March 17, 2026, defeating U.S. Representatives
Raja Krishnamoorthi and
Robin Kelly.
Candidates Nominee •
Juliana Stratton,
Lieutenant Governor of Illinois (2019–present)
Eliminated in primary • Steve Botsford, former legislative staffer and candidate for
Chicago City Council in
2023 • Sean Brown, attorney • Awisi Bustos, CEO of the Illinois
Alliance of Boys & Girls Clubs and daughter-in-law of former U.S. Representative
Cheri Bustos • Jonathan Dean, solar energy entrepreneur •
Robin Kelly,
U.S. Representative from (2013–present), former chair of the
Illinois Democratic Party (2021–2022), and nominee for
Illinois Treasurer in
2010 •
Raja Krishnamoorthi,
U.S. Representative from (2017–present) and candidate for
Illinois Comptroller in
2010 • Bryan Maxwell, engineer • Kevin Ryan, former teacher • Christopher Swann, program manager for
Feeding America Disqualified • Adam Delgado, former
ATF agent
Declined •
Dick Durbin, incumbent
U.S. Senator (1997–present) •
Mike Frerichs,
Illinois State Treasurer (2015–present)
(running for re-election) •
Alexi Giannoulias,
Illinois Secretary of State (2023–present), former
Illinois State Treasurer (2007–2011), and nominee for U.S. Senate in
2010 (running for re-election) •
JB Pritzker,
Governor of Illinois (2019–present)
(running for re-election, endorsed Stratton) (running for re-election) •
Lauren Underwood,
U.S. Representative from (2019–present)
(running for re-election) •
Gilbert Villegas,
Chicago alder from the 36th ward (2015–present) and candidate for in
2022 Endorsements {{Endorsements box ;U.S. senators •
Cory Booker,
New Jersey (2013–present) •
Chris Murphy,
Connecticut (2013–present) ;U.S. representatives • 53 current
U.S. representatives •
Mike Quigley,
IL-5 (2009–present) ;Statewide officials •
Rod Blagojevich, former
governor of Illinois (2003–2009) •
Pat Quinn, former governor of Illinois (2009–2015) • 4 current state representatives • 3 former state representatives ;Local officials •
Leslie Hairston, former
Chicago alder from the
5th ward (1999–2023) •
Bennett Lawson,
Chicago alder from the 44th ward (2023–present)
Fundraising Polling Results Stratton won with 40.2% of the statewide vote; she secured 47 counties, including
Cook and
Will counties in the state's northeast. She recorded her best result in
St. Clair County, winning 54.3% of the vote. Krishnamoorthi won 53 counties, carrying
DuPage,
Lake and
Kane counties around Chicago. He performed best in
Mercer County with 59.0% of the vote. The two leading candidates tied in
Jasper County, with 32.9% of the vote each. Finally, Kelly placed third in the race; however, she did win
Kankakee County with 38.2% of the vote. Kelly represents a majority of Kankakee residents as congresswoman for
Illinois's 2nd congressional district. == Republican primary ==