Juliana Stratton wins Illinois US Senate race, making history
Illinois Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton made history Tuesday night, winning a U.S. Senate seat and becoming just the second Black woman elected to represent the state in the Senate.
The latest: Stratton defeated former Illinois Republican Party chair Don Tracy to claim the seat being vacated by retiring Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin.
Why it matters: Stratton will join Democratic Sen. Tammy Duckworth, making Illinois the first state in U.S. history to have two women of color in the Senate.
- Stratton also becomes just the sixth Black woman to serve in the U.S. Senate, following in the footsteps of Illinois’ Carol Moseley Braun, who made history in 1992.
Context: Stratton withstood a bruising Democratic primary against Reps. Raja Krishnamoorthi and Robin Kelly to win the nomination in the blue-leaning state.
- She has served as Gov. JB Pritzker’s lieutenant governor since 2019. Before that, she served in the Illinois House.
Zoom out: Stratton campaigned on a progressive platform that included Medicare for All, a federal assault weapons ban and abolishing ICE.
- She also made opposition to President Trump’s policies a central theme of her campaign.
The bottom line: Stratton’s victory keeps the Senate seat in Democratic hands while ushering in a historic new chapter for Illinois’ representation in Washington.
