The Illinois Senate Primary: Meet the Candidates

It's October, and that means it's a time for spooky and scary blogs & radio shows, and a lot of our blogs this month will be about scary movies, or pumpkin pie, or paranormal lore. However, loyal reader, I ask you this; what could possibly be a spookier, more bone-chilling fright than local politics??

Next March, candidates from every corner of Illinois will vie for the Democratic nomination for the state's soon-to-be open Senate seat, currently held by Dick Durbin, the 81-year-old who has been in office since (quite literally) last century. Durbin's venerable record has faced criticism in recent years, particularly for his choice to side with Chuck Schumer during a budget crisis earlier this year. Durbin, along with Schumer, broke a filibuster over a 'continuing resolution' to keep the government funded (until now). This gave Trump his wish of a higher ICE budget and expanding the influence of DOGE in order to avoid a government shutdown, which earned Durbin ire from more progressive factions of the party. This is not to even mention his more conservative stance on foreign policy surrounding Palestine, which has attracted a lot of criticism as well.

These controversies, along with the obvious factor of his age, have caused Durbin to reconsider re-election, and ultimately drop out of the 2026 race. Now, the field has opened for a huge array of candidates to throw their hats into the ring, to try and secure the coveted Democratic nomination (which, in all likelihood, means a win for the seat come November, given Illinois' consistent track record of electing democrats statewide).

There are over a dozen candidates collecting signatures to run. However, 3 are polling far higher than the rest, along with a 4th candidate who some (as in myself, with my own bias) predict will have a high grassroots performance; let's take a look at their platforms and experience.

Juliana Stratton

Credit: Wikimedia

Currently Illinois' Lieutenant Governor, Juliana Stratton made a name for herself early in her political career, starting with a 2016 campaign where she successfully challenged and then defeated incumbent State Rep Kenneth Durkin, who, like Durbin, faced controversy over supporting Republican budgets during a budget crisis. She then joined current Governor J.B. Pritzker as his running mate in 2018, serving as Lieutenant Governor ever since. Some of Stratton's campaign focuses, per her website, are passing the proposed John Lewis Voting Rights Act, common sense gun legislation, raising the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour and cutting taxes for the middle class while raising them on high earners. Stratton's endorsement by Governor Pritzker might give her an edge above other candidates, though it might also associate her with the establishment, a negative for some voters.

Raja Krishnamoorthi

Credit: Wikimedia

One of the first Indian-American congressmen to hold a committee position, Krishnamoorthi has represented Illinois' 8th district (comprising of Schaumburg and Northwestern suburbs of Chicago) since 2017. Krishnamoorthi is running a campaign focusing on fighting back against the Trump administration's fiscally conservative policies and decreasing costs for the working class through bringing funding back to social programs. He's also campaigning on his record of defending consumer protections, such as increasing regulations for firearm, tobacco and vape sales. So far, polling has placed Krishnamoorthi as one of the most well-known frontrunners, partially in thanks to an aggressive TV advertising campaign.

Robin Kelly

Credit: Wikimedia

Representing Illinois' 2nd district, stretching south from Kenwood in Chicago all the way to Kankakee and Danville downstate, Kelly has served since 2013, when she competed in a fierce open primary to fill the proverbial 'big shoes' of predecessor Jesse Jackson, Jr. Kelly is emphasizing her record over her 12 year tenure; her accomplishments include introducing the legislation that created Pullman National Historical Park, as well as securing $245 million in federal funding for her district's various projects over the years, as well as passing the Respect for Marriage act, Bipartisan Safer Communities act, and authoring the Kelly Report on gun violence in America, among other achievements. Criminal justice and gun law reform have been some of her biggest focuses in Congress, and while she has an uphill battle in this primary, emphasizing her achievements in that field could be fruitful.

Jump Shepherd

Credit: Ballotpedia

Unlike the 3 frontrunners, Shepherd hasn't really caught a headwind on any polls, but the union electrician from Chicago has made headlines for his unorthodox strategy of grassroots campaigning, taking the liberty to ride CTA trains and hand out flyers for himself. His campaign so far has been trying to put himself apart from the other candidates, who he says cater to the establishment. He's putting himself behind issues he says they omit, such as foreign policy surrounding Palestine and an end to private prisons, as well as increasing taxes on high earners with rates up to 92%. In addition, he states he will move to eliminate all taxes on feminine hygiene products if elected. While he has significantly less attention than his competitors so far, I think Shepherd could pull off a highly successful ground game in Chicago proper and mix up the race if he plays his cards right.

All in all, in my infinite political wisdom (and by that I mean being an urban planning student who never took a credit of Poli Sci, whose opinions should be taken with some salt), I would say Krishnamoorthi is the likely winner of this race (so far) just on PR alone, and all the candidates (with the exception of Shepherd) have somewhat similar platforms based off of a mildly progressive variant of the mainstream Democratic platform.