Tammy Duckworth endorses Illinois Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton for U.S. Senate run

Illinois Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton earns major endorsement in her Senate bid

Illinois Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton earned the endorsement of U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth in her bid to run for Sen. Dick Durbin's seat in 2026.

Illinois Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton earned another high-profile endorsement in her bid to run for Democratic U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin’s seat after the veteran politician said he won’t run for reelection in 2026.

U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D) threw her support behind Stratton, who was the first high-profile candidate to announce she would run for Durbin’s seat.

What we know:

Stratton, a Democrat from Chicago, already has the backing of Gov. JB Pritzker, her two-time running mate.

Durbin, the state’s longest-serving U.S. senator, announced last week that he won’t seek reelection for a sixth term in the upper chamber.

For Stratton, the endorsement from Duckworth represents a significant degree of support from the biggest names in the Illinois Democratic Party, short of Durbin himself, who so far has not publicly made an endorsement.

Still, the actual primary election is several months away, and many other candidates could jump into the mix. No other major candidates have announced a campaign as of Monday, although U.S. Rep. Robin Kelly said she intended to announce her plans this week.

What they're saying:

In a statement, Duckworth said:

"Juliana has not only proven to be an experienced and effective Lieutenant Governor—she’s demonstrated time and again that she truly understands and cares for working people. Their struggles are her struggles. Their wins are her wins. Her many years spent in public service, along with her experience as a mom to four daughters and a caregiver to her own mother, have given her the tenacity, grit and perspective to be a true advocate on behalf of working families. I’d be honored to have her by my side in the Senate as we work to deliver real results for Illinoisans, and I’m proud to endorse her campaign for the United States Senate."

Stratton said in a statement:

"Tammy is a true leader for Illinois who doesn’t back down from a challenge. She exemplifies the kind of leadership working families deserve and spends every day looking for new opportunities to help communities across our states flourish. I’m so honored to have her support and I will work tirelessly to bring her spirit of resilience to this campaign."