State Representative La Shawn Ford won the Democratic primary for Illinois’ 7th Congressional District, according to NBC News. Meanwhile, Illinois Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton captured the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate on Tuesday, narrowly defeating two sitting members of Congress to advance to the November general election against Republican Don Tracy, the state’s former party chair, as reported by AP.
The Senate race opened up after longtime No. 2 Democrat U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin announced his retirement and drew a competitive field, including Stratton, Reps. Raja Krishnamoorthi and Robin Kelly.
The contest featured aggressive campaigning and heavy fundraising, highlighting the influence of Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker, who endorsed Stratton and has been discussed as a potential 2028 presidential contender.
Stratton victorious Among the 10 Democrats competing, Stratton trailed in fundraising but benefited from the significant support of Gov. JB Pritzker, who contributed millions to a PAC backing her campaign and campaigned with her across the state.
Krishnamoorthi led in fundraising and was the first candidate to air television ads in July. He entered 2026 with over $15 million on hand, having spent more than $6 million and raised over $3.5 million in the final three months of 2025, according to campaign finance filings.
By contrast, Stratton began the year with about $1 million, having raised a similar amount and spent just under $1 million in the same period. She challenged Krishnamoorthi aggressively during debates, focusing on his voting record and contributions from a contractor linked to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
“That is not the example of somebody who’s going to stand up to Donald Trump and fight for all of our communities,” Stratton said during a debate in January.
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 born in India and raised in central Illinois.
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“Only in this country can a kid like me serve in the halls of Congress,” he said, as reported by AP. “And 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.”
Rochelle Brockenborough, 64, said she voted for Stratton at the Dr. Martin Luther King Community Service Center in Chicago.
“I wanted to make sure there was no AIPAC money. That’s important to me,” she said, adding that U.S. tax dollars shouldn’t be used to support Israel.
Candidates touted ties to iconic Chicagoans including President Barack Obama and the late Rev. Jesse Jackson, who died last month. However, an endorsement touted posthumously by Stratton caused a snag as Jackson’s family withdrew it Monday, saying the draft was not meant for public release, AP reported.
In the GOP primary, Don Tracy, an attorney and former Illinois Republican Party chair from 2021 to 2024, defeated five other candidates. Illinois last elected a Republican to the Senate a decade ago, when Mark Kirk lost to current Democratic Sen. Tammy Duckworth.
Election officials anticipated higher engagement this year, following a statewide primary turnout of just 19% in 2024, the lowest in over 50 years. Early estimates from Chicago put voter participation at around 25%, according to the Chicago Board of Elections.
Pritzker seeks a third term as governor JB Pritzker, heir to the Hyatt Hotel fortune and unopposed in his primary, is the first Illinois governor to pursue a third term since the 1980s.
In his victory speech, Pritzker, a vocal critic of President Donald Trump, highlighted his efforts to resist last year’s federal immigration crackdown in Chicago. He also condemned the Republican agenda, labelled Trump’s presidency an “unmitigated disaster,” and pledged to support Democratic candidates across Illinois in the November elections.