CHICAGO (AP) 鈥� Illinois Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton won Tuesday’s Democratic primary for U.S. Senate, edging out two sitting members of the U.S. House to advance to a November general election against Republican nominee Don Tracy, the former state party chair.
The retirement of , the Senate鈥檚 longtime No. 2 Democrat, triggered a competitive campaign on the Democratic side, drawing as candidates Stratton and U.S. Reps. Raja Krishnamoorthi and Robin Kelly, among others. Furious fundraising and sharp elbows marked the race, which tested the . The governor, whose name has been floated as a 2028 presidential contender, backed Stratton.
The races were testing grounds for some of the biggest issues facing the Democratic Party, from support for Israel to immigration enforcement and the cryptocurrency and AI industries, as of dollars into the hotly contested primaries.
Most primary winners in the Democratic stronghold are expected to win in November, shaping a in the state鈥檚 congressional delegation.
Stratton victorious
Stratton lagged in fundraising but had the powerful backing of Pritzker, who campaigned with her around the state.
He introduced her Tuesday night before her victory speech, in which she pledged to push for Medicare for all and higher wages, abolish U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and 鈥渂ring this fight straight to Donald Trump鈥檚 door.鈥�
鈥淲e are ready to take our democracy back into our own hands,鈥� Stratton told supporters gathered in Chicago.
The race featuring 10 Democrats was expensive. Krishnamoorthi dominated fundraising and was the first on television with ads in July. He started 2026 with over $15 million on hand compared with Stratton’s $1 million, according to campaign finance records. Late last year, Pritzker put $5 million into a super PAC aimed at electing her.
Stratton lit into Krishnamoorthi at debates, particularly on the five-term Democrat鈥檚 voting record and donations from an ICE contractor.
Krishnamoorthi, who has called to dismantle the agency, said he donated the money to immigrant rights groups. In a concession speech Tuesday, he brought up his roots as an immigrant who born in India and raised in central Illinois.
鈥淥nly in this country can a kid like me serve in the halls of Congress,鈥� he said. 鈥淎nd now we must come together as Democrats and as Americans to make sure that we return to the principles that made us a beacon of freedom and opportunity for the world.鈥�
Rochelle Brockenborough, 64, said she voted for Stratton at the Dr. Martin Luther King Community Service Center in Chicago.
鈥淚 wanted to make sure there was no AIPAC money. That鈥檚 important to me,鈥� she said, adding that U.S. tax dollars shouldn鈥檛 be used to support Israel.
Candidates touted ties to iconic Chicagoans including former President Barack Obama and the , who died last month. However, an endorsement touted posthumously by Stratton caused a snag as Jackson鈥檚 family withdrew it Monday, saying the draft was not meant for public release.
In the GOP primary, Tracy, an attorney who led the Illinois Republican Party from 2021 to 2024, bested five other candidates. The state last had a Republican in the Senate a decade ago, when Mark Kirk was defeated by current Democratic Sen. Tammy Duckworth.
Election officials hoped to see busy polls after statewide turnout in the 2024 primary was 19%, the lowest in more than five decades. Initial turnout estimates in Chicago were around 25%, according to the Chicago Board of Elections.
Crowded US House primaries
Dozens of candidates ran for five open seats in the Chicago area.
In Kelly鈥檚 2nd district, which spans parts of the South Side and suburbs and dips into the central Illinois farmlands, Cook County Commissioner Donna Miller emerged as the winner of a crowded Democratic field that included former , son of . Miller will face off in November against Republican Michael Noack, who was unopposed.
Miller was backed by AIPAC, and that support prompted retiring of the 9th District, to withdraw her endorsement of Miller.
The open seat in Krishnamoorthi鈥檚 suburban 8th District attracted eight Democrats and four Republicans. Former U.S. Rep. Melissa Bean won the Democratic nomination and advances to face Republican Jennifer Davis.
鈥淧eople are ready for change, they want to see a functional Congress,鈥� Bean told The Associated Press. 鈥淲e haven鈥檛 had one in quite some time.鈥�
Two other House members are retiring after long careers.
The 7th District of who was first elected in 1996, covers parts of downtown, the West Side and suburbs. The candidate he endorsed, state Rep. La Shawn Ford won the nomination over a pool of candidates that included Chicago City Treasurer Melissa Conyears-Ervin. Chad Koppie won for the GOP.
The primary for Schakowsky’s 9th District seat was the most crowded. Among the 15 Democrats, Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss edged out digital creator Kat Abughazaleh and state Sen. Laura Fine, who was also backed by AIPAC. Republican John Elleson won the party’s nomination.
Speaking to supporters, Biss called Schakowsky, who endorsed him, his 鈥減olitical hero鈥� and said the contest to replace her raised fundamental questions about Democratic Party priorities.
鈥淎re we going to double down on our progressive values, or are we going to shrink away from protecting the most vulnerable?鈥� Biss said. 鈥淲e are going to stand up, we are going to fight.鈥�
Another open Chicago area seat was that of Rep. Jesus 鈥淐huy鈥� Garcia, who announced that he would not seek reelection citing health and personal reasons. The Democratic primary for the 4th District was uncontested after to place his chief of staff, Patty Garcia, on the ballot without any Democratic competition.
Patty Garcia, who is not related to the congressman, will face Republican Lupe Castillo, who also ran unopposed, in November.
Pritzker seeks a third term as governor
Pritzker, an heir to the Hyatt Hotel fortune who was unopposed in his primary, is the first governor to seek a since the 1980s.
One of President Donald Trump鈥檚 , Pritzker used his victory speech to tout his efforts to oppose the in Chicago last year. He criticized Republicans’ agenda, called Trump’s presidency an 鈥渦nmitigated disaster鈥� and vowed to help Democrats across Illinois win in November.
鈥淭his is the fight of our lives,鈥� he told supporters at a downtown Chicago hotel. 鈥淓verything we care about is under siege from Washington.鈥�
Pritzker also made digs at Republican candidate Darren Bailey, a former state senator whom he handily defeated in 2022.
Bailey, who bested three other Republicans vying for the nomination, said he did things differently this time, including focusing more on Chicago voters.
On the campaign trail and in his victory speech, Bailey criticized Pritzker鈥檚 leadership, including blaming him for rising costs. Heading into November, he vowed to include Democrats 鈥渨ho felt left behind.鈥�
鈥淚 want to work together to make Illinois government work again at all levels,鈥� he said.
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Associated Press journalists Mike Householder in Chicago and Hannah Fingerhut in Des Moines, Iowa, contributed.
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