The candidate Democratic Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker endorsed for U.S. Senate secured the party’s nomination Tuesday night passing a test of the strength of his influence in his home state.
Pritzker endorsed his own Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton, 60, in April 2025, quickly flooding the race with his political and financial influence. Stratton took 39.7% of the vote, compared to her closest rival Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi’s 33.4%, with 85% of the vote counted, according to the Associated Press (AP).
Pritzker — who is running for a third term and won his own Democratic primary uncontested — is widely seen as a White House contender in 2028.
Stratton is the heavy favorite to win the November general election in deep blue Illinois and will likely become the second black woman to ever represent the state in the U.S. Senate after former Illinois Sen. Carol Moseley Braun, who was first elected in 1992. No Republican has won a statewide race in Illinois in 12 years.
The new Democratic nominee for Illinois Senate made headlines for releasing campaign ad which began with began with three of her supporters saying in rapid succession, “Fuck [President Donad] Trump, vote Juliana.”
“They said it, not me,” Pritzker’s lieutenant governor continues to say in the ad as upbeat music plays in the background.
Like many other Democrats, Stratton has called for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to be abolished during her campaign. She also heavily leaned on Pritzker’s war chest in a race that quickly became defined by heavy PAC spending, including from cryptocurrency organizations. Pritzker has put at least $5 million of his own money toward her campaign after quickly platforming her for the job following Democratic Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin’s retirement announcement the same month.
In addition to Pritzker, Stratton also carried an endorsement from Democratic Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, who held a rally with her last week, and Democratic Illinois Sen. Tammy Duckworth, the current junior senator.
Stratton also sparked controversy after falsely claiming she was endorsed by the late Rev. Jesse Jackson, the former presidential candidate and civil rights leader, who died in February. His family quickly debunked the posthumous endorsement and withdrew it.
The third candidate in the race, U.S. Rep. Robin Kelly, who only took 18.3% of the vote, received the backing of the entire Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) which collectively rebuked Pritzker’s influence in the race.
“A sitting governor shouldn’t be heavy-handing the race. Quite frankly, his behavior in this race won’t be soon forgotten,” Democratic New York Rep. Yvette Clarke, a CBC member, said earlier in March regarding the governor’s endorsement.
“I just want the best person,” Pritzker said in response to the caucus. “She happens to be a black woman and by the way, I think I’ve proven for many years now that I stand with communities of color across the state and with candidates who are running for public office.”
All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter’s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact [email protected].
