Illinois Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton Enters US Senate Race to Replace Dick Durbin

The Democratic Primary field to replace Sen. Dick Durbin, who has served in office since 1997, is likely to get more competitive

Illinois Democratic candidate for governor J.B. Pritzker and his lieutenant governor pick, Juliana Stratton, arrive during his primary election night victory event in Chicago on March 20, 2018. Pritzker beat won the democratic primary against challengers Chris Kennedy and Daniel Bliss in the governor's race. Joshua Lott/Getty Images

NEW YORK CITY—Illinois Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton (D-Ill.) on April 25 entered the 2026 U.S. Senate election, in the Democratic Primary for the race to succeed retiring Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.).

Durbin, the Senate minority whip who is the second-highest ranking member of the Democratic Caucus, has served in Congress since 1983 and in the Senate since 1997. He announced that he would not seek reelection on April 23. His seat in the deep blue state of Illinois is widely considered a safe election for Democrats, where the primary contest matters more than the general election. Statewide office in Illinois has previously been a stepping stone for higher office for many Democratic politicians, most notably President Barack Obama, who was Durbin’s colleague as Illinois’s junior senator from 2005 to 2008.

Stratton was elected as lieutenant governor, another statewide office, in 2019 as the running mate of Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D-Ill.), who has declined to be a candidate and whom many believe may run for the Democratic presidential primary in the general election of 2028. She previously served for one term in the Illinois House of Representatives and hails from the south side of Chicago, where Obama built his political career.

“In Washington, they’re still doing the same old things they’ve always done, and that old playbook isn’t working,” Stratton said in a campaign announcement video that was posted on social media. “Typical isn’t what we need right now.”

Stratton was endorsed by Pritzker after her announcement, earning a key ally in the race. It is unclear whether other high-ranking Illinois politicians, such as Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, will make endorsements.

Stratton’s video presented her politics as a contrast to President Donald Trump and his political aide, Elon Musk. She also claimed the achievements of the Pritzker administration, of which she is his deputy, as her own, listing policies such as minimum wage increases, job creation, gun control laws, and abortion policies as her accomplishments.

The field to replace Durbin is likely to grow over time as more prominent candidates enter the race, given the lucrative opportunity for Democrats to hold a seat where reelection is easier than in other states. Reports suggest that two of Durbin’s congressional colleagues, Reps. Lauren Underwood (D-Ill.) and Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.), are considering launching their own campaigns—as is his former colleague Rahm Emanuel, who served as mayor of Chicago, a U.S. representative, Obama’s first White House chief of staff, and most recently the U.S. ambassador to Japan during the Biden administration.

Stratton, so far, is the only declared candidate in the primary.