# Juliana Stratton **Juliana Stratton** is the Lieutenant Governor of Illinois (since 2019) and the 2026 Democratic nominee for the open U.S. Senate seat being vacated by the retiring [[Dick Durbin]]. The first Black woman to serve as Illinois Lieutenant Governor, she is the running mate of Gov. [[J.B. Pritzker]] and won the March 2026 primary as his backed candidate. ## 2026 Senate race See [[IL-Sen-2026]] for full race context. The seat is rated Likely Democratic and she begins the cycle as a heavy general-election favorite in a state Trump has never carried. - **Primary**: Won the March 17–18, 2026 Democratic primary with **40.2%**, carrying 47 of Illinois's 102 counties, defeating sitting Reps. Raja Krishnamoorthi (~33%) and Robin Kelly (~18%). The late [[J.B. Pritzker]] endorsement was decisive; [[Dick Durbin]] also endorsed her. - **General**: Faces Republican Don Tracy, former Illinois GOP chair. - Two sitting U.S. Representatives losing a primary to a Lieutenant Governor is unusual and a case study in Illinois Democratic machine politics. ## Background A former state representative (IL-05, 2016–2019) and restorative-justice advocate before joining the Pritzker ticket. As Lt. Governor she has led on criminal-justice and economic-equity initiatives. ## Why she matters for the KB Stratton is the Pritzker machine's next-generation pick — relevant both as a near-certain new Senate Democrat and as a node in the [[J.B. Pritzker]] political network amid 2028 presidential chatter. Her primary win over two sitting House members illustrates how gubernatorial endorsement power reshapes safe-seat nominations. ## Related - [[IL-Sen-2026]] - [[J.B. Pritzker]] - [[Dick Durbin]]