Race Overview
How this primary came to be, and what's at stake
How the seat opened
In April 2025, Senator Dick Durbin—Illinois's senior senator and the Senate Democratic Whip for 17 years—announced he would not seek re-election in 2026, ending a congressional career spanning nearly five decades. Reuters
Within days, Governor JB Pritzker endorsed Lt. Governor Juliana Stratton, shaping the early field. Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi filed with the FEC within two weeks, entering with a massive existing fundraising network.
The general election
Illinois is a reliably Democratic state in federal elections. Major political handicappers (Cook Political Report, Sabato's Crystal Ball, Inside Elections) all rate the November seat as safely or solidly Democratic, meaning the primary is effectively the decisive election for the seat. Ballotpedia
State of the race
The race has tightened dramatically. The latest PPP poll (March 2–3) shows Stratton leading 33–30% over Krishnamoorthi, with 25% undecided — though the race is within the margin of error. Krishnamoorthi leads in fundraising ($28.5M raised) and an earlier Tulchin poll (42%). Stratton holds the Pritzker endorsement, EMILY's List, and multiple Senate endorsements; Kelly is endorsed by the CBC PAC. PPP, March 2–3, 2026
Front-runners · Top Tier
Raja Krishnamoorthi
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Juliana Stratton
Robin Kelly
Remaining Ballot Candidates · Full Field
Steve Botsford Jr.
Sean Brown
Awisi Bustos
Jonathan Dean
Bryan Maxwell
Kevin Ryan
Christopher Swann
Adam Delgado
Candidate Debates
Six debates and forums have featured the top three candidates ahead of the March 17 primary. The most recent was February 26 — a League of Women Voters forum broadcast on WTVP.
League of Women Voters Forum — WTVP
Moderated Q&A format · No direct candidate crossfire · Six minor candidates excluded
Krishnamoorthi- Drew on immigrant family story and reliance on public programs
- Warned public benefits "are on the chopping block"
- Called for abolishing "Trump's ICE" with specific reforms: no masks, body cameras, IDs, no warrantless arrests
- Focused on breaking monopolies — opposed Kroger-Albertsons merger
- Proposed 10% housing credit for first-time homebuyers; clean energy tax credits
- Labeled Trump's budget bill the "Large Lousy Law"
Stratton- Touted Illinois record: wage increases, job growth, balanced budgets, improved credit ratings
- Called for complete ICE abolition — framed Trump as normalizing military presence in Democratic cities
- Advocated $25/hr federal minimum wage
- Championed gun safety and reproductive freedom protections
- Stayed on offense re: Trump contrast throughout
Kelly- Platform: "people over profit"
- Proposed taxing wealthy individuals and closing corporate loopholes to fund housing, healthcare, childcare
- Filed impeachment papers against DHS Sec. Kristi Noem — called it a "reign of terror"
- Proposed $17/hr minimum wage as more achievable than $25
- Emphasized 13 years of legislative accomplishments: "she gets s— done"
WGN Statewide Debate — Nexstar/WGN-TV
Moderated by Tahman Bradley & Micah Materre · Broadcast statewide across six Illinois markets
Stratton continued pressing Krishnamoorthi on ICE contractor campaign donations and his prior resolution vote. Kelly highlighted her impeachment effort against DHS Sec. Noem.
Stratton renewed attacks on PAC funding from both Kelly and Krishnamoorthi. Opponents pointed out her supporting super PAC (Illinois Future PAC) hadn't disclosed donors despite running ads.
Healthcare access, inflation, U.S. foreign policy. All three committed to opposing Trump's second-term agenda.
Fox 32 / Daily Illini Debate
Notable for minimum wage clash, campaign finance attacks, and a surprise UFO question
Stratton: $25/hr · Krishnamoorthi: $17/hr (small business impact concern) · Kelly: "realistic" figure needed for passage
Stratton attacked Krishnamoorthi over Palantir executive donation. Krishnamoorthi countered: Stratton's Illinois Future PAC received money from CoreCivic, a private prison contractor — "very disturbing."
Kelly & Krishnamoorthi supported greater government disclosure. Krishnamoorthi: "Sunlight is the best disinfectant." Stratton redirected to wages and healthcare.
Chicago Tribune Radio Debate
Candidates clashed over PAC money and ICE abolition policy in a radio format. Stratton's pledge not to accept corporate PAC money directly was scrutinized against Illinois Future PAC's undisclosed donor list.
2nd Illinois Senate Debate — STLPR
Candidates debated how to fight the Trump agenda and restore public trust in government.
1st Live-Broadcast Debate — WBEZ / Chicago Sun-Times / UChicago
Moderated by Tina Sfondeles (Sun-Times), Jennifer Steinhauer (IOP) & Sasha-Ann Simons (WBEZ)
Stratton hit Krishnamoorthi for voting to "thank ICE" and accepting ICE contractor donations. Krishnamoorthi: the resolution primarily condemned antisemitism; he donated the Palantir exec's $29,300 to Illinois migrant rights groups and was "the only candidate who actually inspected an ICE facility." Stratton: "No matter what you say now, you already demonstrated that you're not gonna show up when it matters."
Kelly defended corporate PAC money: "Check the record. Check how I vote" — accused Stratton of "dark money." Stratton mocked Krishnamoorthi's passed bills as only "renaming post offices." Krishnamoorthi countered he has passed 76 bills when including partnerships with other members.
Kelly acknowledged respecting RFK Jr.'s wellness focus; Krishnamoorthi agreed on manufacturing concerns; Stratton stated she disagreed with Trump "on all points."
📺 Watch: C-SPAN (full video) · Internet Archive (free stream) · WBEZ recap · STLPR recap
Campaign Fundraising
Total receipts reported to the FEC through December 31, 2025. Source: FEC
Cash on Hand (Dec. 31, 2025)
| Candidate | Total Receipts | Total Disbursements | Cash on Hand | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Raja Krishnamoorthi | $28,480,748 | $13,228,573 | $15,252,175 | Includes $19.3M transfers from prior committees |
| Juliana Stratton | $3,199,075 | $2,077,484 | $1,121,591 | — |
| Robin Kelly | $2,949,085 | $1,349,085 | $1,600,000 | Includes large transfers from authorized committees |
| Steve Botsford Jr. | $359,171 | $230,990 | $128,181 | Largely self-funded |
| Kevin Ryan | $83,936 | $72,401 | $11,535 | — |
| Jonathan Dean | $60,724 | $67,554 | −$6,830 | $46,500 in outstanding loans |
| Adam Delgado (write-in) | $15,572 | $36,948 | −$20,366 | Write-in candidate |
| Bryan Maxwell | $21,976 | $14,778 | $7,198 | — |
| Sean Brown | $10,217 | $9,678 | $539 | — |
| Christopher Swann | $4,768 | $4,175 | $593 | Jul.–Sep. 2025 period |
| Awisi Bustos | FEC data unavailable | — | — | FEC profile not processed as of research date |
Source: Federal Election Commission
TV Ads & Fact Checks
The ad war has made this one of the most expensive Senate primaries in Illinois history. Total outside spending exceeds $20M. Here are the key ads, claims, and fact checks.
Ad Spending (Week of March 2)
Fairshake (crypto super PAC) has spent $7.6M total against Stratton. Source: Axios
Key Campaign Ads
- Stratton: "F--- Trump" ad — Features Sen. Duckworth and others. Generated national media attention. [NBC News]
- IL Future PAC: "Sold Us Out" — Claims Krishnamoorthi took donations from ICE contractor Palantir and "voted to honor ICE." [Capitol Fax]
- Krishnamoorthi: First negative ad — Attacks Stratton's super PAC for taking money from ICE contractor CoreCivic. [Sun-Times]
- Fairshake: Madigan attack — Calls Stratton "corrupt criminal Mike Madigan's hand-picked politician." Does not mention cryptocurrency. [Axios]
Ad Claim Fact Checks
"Krishnamoorthi voted to honor ICE"
Claimed by: Stratton / Illinois Future PAC
Context: The House resolution primarily condemned antisemitism after the firebombing of an Israeli hostage awareness march in Boulder, CO. It included secondary language expressing "gratitude to law enforcement officers, including U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement personnel." The attacker had overstayed his visa.
Krishnamoorthi's response: "That resolution, Lieutenant Governor, you know was about condemning antisemitism, and that's something that I will always do."
Verdict: Misleading — the resolution was principally about condemning antisemitism, with ICE language as a secondary component. But the vote did technically include thanking ICE.
"Krishnamoorthi took money from ICE contractors"
Claimed by: Stratton / Illinois Future PAC
Context: He received ~$30,000 from Shyam Sankar, CTO of Palantir (which holds a $30M ICE contract). This is roughly 0.1% of his $28.7M raised. Krishnamoorthi donated $33,000 to three immigrant rights groups after the news broke.
Verdict: Technically true but arguably misleading given the scale of his fundraising and his subsequent donation to immigrant rights groups.
"Stratton is Mike Madigan's hand-picked politician"
Claimed by: Fairshake (crypto super PAC)
Context: Madigan's political organization supported Stratton in her 2016 Illinois House race. She subsequently became Lt. Governor on Pritzker's ticket, not through Madigan's machine.
Verdict: Has a factual basis (early career support) but is a significant stretch to characterize her current Senate bid as a Madigan project.
Stratton's "no corporate PAC" pledge vs. Illinois Future PAC
Claimed by: Krishnamoorthi and Kelly campaigns
Context: Stratton pledged not to accept corporate PAC money directly. However, Illinois Future PAC (funded by $5M+ from Pritzker) has spent $11.3M on TV ads supporting her. The PAC had not disclosed all donors despite running millions in ads. One disclosed donor was CoreCivic, a private prison/ICE contractor.
Verdict: The distinction between "direct" corporate PAC money and super PAC support is legally valid but politically awkward, especially given the CoreCivic donation.
Polling
Five polls have been publicly released for this primary, with the race tightening dramatically in the final weeks. The most striking finding: Stratton has surged in the latest PPP poll to take a narrow lead, though the race remains within the margin of error.
- Voters over 50 favored Krishnamoorthi at 42%
- Male voters favored Krishnamoorthi at 41%
- Women were disproportionately undecided
- Stratton's coalition may be larger than her topline suggests
Candidate Comparison
Key facts across fundraising, polling, endorsements, and policy. "No public statement" means no direct quote was found in reviewed sources — not that the candidate has no position.
| Candidate | Current Role | Fundraising | Latest Poll | Key Endorsement | Campaign Message | Key Policy Focus |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Raja Krishnamoorthi | U.S. Rep. (IL-8) | $28.5M raised · $15.3M CoH | 30–42% | Teamsters; AFGE; UFCW | Anti-Trump, national security | Intel/national security; economic growth |
| Juliana Stratton | Lt. Governor, IL | $3.2M raised · $1.1M CoH + $11.3M super PAC | 27–33% | Gov. Pritzker; EMILY's List; Sen. Duckworth; Sen. Warren | "Working people"; anti-Trump | Workers' rights; criminal justice reform |
| Robin Kelly | U.S. Rep. (IL-2) | $2.95M raised · $1.6M CoH | 8–13% | CBC PAC; BradyPAC; Sen. Murphy | Gun violence prevention champion | Gun safety; healthcare; South Side Chicago |
| Steve Botsford Jr. | Former cong. aide | $359K raised · $128K CoH | Not polled | None identified | "Abundance" economics; cost of living | Housing supply; clean energy; healthcare cost |
| Sean Brown | Attorney | $10.2K raised · $539 CoH | Not polled | None identified | "Not a Politician, I'm a Problem Solver" | Universal Care Plus Act; gun registry; immigration reform |
| Awisi Bustos | — | FEC data unavailable | Not polled | None identified | Not documented | Not documented |
| Jonathan Dean | — | $60.7K raised · −$6.8K CoH | Not polled | None identified | Not documented | Not documented |
| Bryan Maxwell | — | $21.9K raised · $7.2K CoH | Not polled | None identified | Not documented | Not documented |
| Kevin Ryan | — | $83.9K raised · $11.5K CoH | Not polled | None identified | Not documented | Not documented |
| Christopher Swann | — | $4.8K raised · $593 CoH | Not polled | None identified | Not documented | Not documented |
| Adam Delgado (write-in) | — | $15.6K raised · −$20.4K CoH | Not polled | None identified | Not documented | Not documented |
Candidates Not on the Ballot
Several candidates were removed from the Democratic primary ballot through Illinois petition objection and ballot certification processes, or withdrew voluntarily.
🚫 Removed / Disqualified
- Jump Shepherd — Removed December 2025 (IL SBOE records). Populist "Oligarchs vs. You" message; minimal fundraising ($881).
- Anthony W. Williams — Removed December 2025 (IL SBOE records).
- Adair Rodriquez — Did not qualify for the primary ballot.
- Stanley Leavell — Did not qualify for the primary ballot.
↩️ Withdrew
- Robert Palmer — Listed as withdrawn/not a candidate by The Green Papers and Ballotpedia.
- Dick Durbin — Listed by Ballotpedia among withdrawn candidates; he announced retirement April 2025.