The 2026 United States Senate election in Illinois will be held on November 3, 2026, to elect a member of the United States Senate to represent the State of Illinois. Democratic lieutenant governor Juliana Stratton and Republican former state party chair Don Tracy are seeking their first term in office. The winner will succeed Democratic incumbent Dick Durbin, who is not seeking re-election after five terms.
Primary elections were held on March 17, 2026. Aided by the support of Governor JB Pritzker, Stratton won the Democratic nomination with 40.1% of the vote over congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi and congresswoman Robin Kelly. Tracy won the Republican nomination with 39.9% of the vote over attorney Jeannie Evans. Republicans have not won a Senate election in Illinois since 2010.
On April 23, 2025, incumbent Senator Dick Durbin, who has held the seat since 1997, announced he would not seek re-election. The following day, Lieutenant Governor Juliana Stratton launched her campaign with the immediate endorsement of Governor JB Pritzker.
Reports soon emerged that Pritzker and his allies were attempting to discourage other prominent Democrats from entering the race, particularly U.S. Representatives Raja Krishnamoorthi, Robin Kelly, and Lauren Underwood, though Pritzker denied the claims. Kelly announced her candidacy on May 6, followed by Krishnamoorthi the next day, while Underwood declined to run and instead sought re-election to the House.
By July, Krishnamoorthi led the field in fundraising with roughly $21 million. Each of the top candidates secured significant endorsements: Stratton from suburban Democrats, state legislative leaders, and Senator Tammy Duckworth; Krishnamoorthi from local suburban officials; and Kelly from members of the Congressional Black Caucus and LGBT advocacy groups.
Krishnamoorthi emphasized his experience on the House Intelligence Committee and focused on foreign policy and economic mobility, while Stratton benefited from substantial financial backing from Pritzker and his family. Stratton pledged not to accept corporate PAC donations, although she accepted individual contributions from billionaires, whereas Krishnamoorthi and Kelly accepted corporate PAC support.
The campaign featured sharp exchanges over ties to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). By December 2025, Krishnamoorthi had raised $24 million, including donations linked to associates of President Donald Trump, Palantir, and The Heritage Foundation. Meanwhile, the Democratic Lieutenant Governors Association, which supported Stratton, received funding from CoreCivic, another ICE contractor.
The Associated Press and The Chicago Tribune called the race for Stratton on March 17, 2026, defeating U.S. Representatives Raja Krishnamoorthi and Robin Kelly.
WBEZ also hosted a forum with lower-polling candidates from both parties, with Democrats Steve Botsford, Sean Brown, Jonathan Dean, Bryan Maxwell, Kevin Ryan, and Christopher Swann attending.
Stratton won with 40.2% of the statewide vote; she secured 47 counties, including Cook and Will counties in the state's northeast. She recorded her best result in St. Clair County, winning 54.3% of the vote. Krishnamoorthi won 53 counties, carrying DuPage, Lake and Kane counties around Chicago. He performed best in Mercer County with 59.0% of the vote. The two leading candidates tied in Jasper County, with 32.9% of the vote each. Finally, Kelly placed third in the race; however, she did win Kankakee County with 38.2% of the vote. Kelly represents a majority of Kankakee residents as congresswoman for Illinois's 2nd congressional district.
Nominee
WBEZ also hosted a forum with lower-polling candidates from both parties, with Republican Pamela Long attending.
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