Who is Juliana Stratton? US Senate Democratic primary winner in Illinois
Recapping a pivotal Illinois primary election night
Several big primary races were decided across Chicago and Illinois on Tuesday.
CHICAGO - Juliana Stratton, the twice-elected lieutenant governor in Illinois, secured the Democratic nomination to the open U.S. Senate seat in Tuesday’s primary election.
Stratton, 60, is in a prime position to replace longtime U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, who, at 81, decided not to run for reelection this year. She beat out a large field that included two sitting members of Congress, Raja Krishnamoorthi and Robin Kelly, by selling herself as a progressive champion for those who want to see Democrats push back more forcefully against the Trump administration.
"No matter who you cast your ballot for, I want you to know that I’m running to be your advocate and fighter in Washington, D.C.," she told supporters on Tuesday night after winning the nomination.
Juliana Stratton, lieutenant governor of Illinois and Democratic US Senate candidate, shakes hands with attendees during a primary election night event in Chicago, Illinois, US, on Tuesday, March 17, 2026. Illinois Lieutenant Governor Juliana Stratto
She said it will take "courage" to "bring this fight right to Donald Trump’s door."
She’ll face Don Tracy, an attorney and the former chairman of the Illinois Republican Party, in the general election in November. But Stratton is widely seen as the overwhelming favorite in that contest, as Illinois has not elected a Republican to the U.S. Senate since 2010, and Democrats are expected to have a strong midterm election.
Her start in politics
Stratton has also been understandably tied to Gov. JB Pritzker, whom she has served under for nearly two terms in Springfield. He endorsed her and spent millions of dollars to help her secure the party’s nomination.
Even before she was tapped by Pritzker in his bid for governor in 2018, Stratton worked as an attorney and state lawmaker.
Stratton was born and raised on the South Side of Chicago. She is a graduate of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and DePaul University’s law school.
She cited her mother’s battle with Alzheimer’s disease and navigating a "broken and cruel" healthcare system as part of her inspiration for jumping into electoral politics. President Barack Obama endorsed her 2016 campaign against incumbent State Rep. Ken Dunkin.
Stratton served in the Illinois House of Representatives for one term before running with Pritzker to unseat Gov. Bruce Rauner.
Pritzker and Stratton won their second term in 2022, defeating Darren Bailey, who is again the GOP’s nominee for governor this year.
Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton, center, speaks during a debate with her fellow candidates, U.S. Reps. Robin Kelly, left, and Raja Krishnamoorthi, on Feb. 16, 2026, at Fox WFLD-Ch. 32, in Chicago. (Josh Boland/Chicago Tribu
Progressive positions
Stratton tried to position herself in the more progressive lane of the Democratic Party, advocating for liberal policies that even some of her primary opponents were not fully on board with.
She also frequently used the word "fight," likely as a way to attract voters seeking a more forceful pushback to President Donald Trump.
"I made a promise to Illinois to be the fighter you deserve, to go to the mat fighting for you and to bring your voices with me to Washington," she said on Tuesday.
Stratton has advocated for a $25 national minimum wage, even above what her primary opponents were willing to support. She cited the passage of a $15 minimum wage in Illinois during Pritzker’s tenure, although that increase happened over several years and there has not been a serious effort to raise it further.
She also supports "Medicare for All," although her campaign website is short on specifics. It says she wants to "make healthcare available to all Americans via Medicare for All," but it’s unclear if that means she’s for a single-payer healthcare system.
The nominee also advocated for abolishing ICE, which has become a frequent call among Democrats in response to the Trump administration’s aggressive immigration enforcement policies. Notably, Krishnamoorthi and others took a slightly different rhetorical approach, saying they’d want to abolish "Trump’s ICE."
Stratton also said she would not support Sen. Chuck Schumer, of New York, to be the Democratic leader in the Senate, instead wanting leadership that will "not give in." Krishnamoorthi and Kelly were unwilling to commit to opposing Schumer, who has been criticized for not doing enough to oppose Senate Republicans.
"We have to meet this moment and people don't want the go-along to get-along mentality," she said. "They want somebody who is going to come in with bold ideas, stand up for the people that they represent and not just kind of feel like it's business as usual."