With longtime U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin not seeking reelection, a crowded field of Democrats lined up hoping to take his place, with current Illinois Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton winning the nomination to appear on the November ballot.
On Tuesday, she takes on attorney Don Tracy, the former Illinois GOP chairman.
A native of the South Side of Chicago, Stratton previously served as a state representative from 2017 to 2019 before becoming lieutenant governor.
She had pledged to "give the people what they want," saying she fights to make life easier for Illinoisans" and that she's "focused on policies that will uplift Illinois' working and middle-class families: making life more affordable, creating and expanding economic opportunities, and protecting our rights and freedoms."
Tracy resigned from his role as chairman of the Illinois Republican Party in 2024, just weeks before the Republican National Convention, citing "power struggles" within the party. Born in Urbana and raised in Mount Sterling, Tracy also previously ran for lieutenant governor in 2010 and sought a state Senate seat as a Democrat in 2002, NPR reported.
He is currently senior counsel with Brown, Hay & Stephens, which touts itself as the oldest law firm in Illinois, boasting that "many of Illinois' finest attorneys practiced here including a young Abraham Lincoln."
Tracy has called Stratton "the most progressive U.S. Senate candidate Illinois has ever seen," adding, "Everyday Illinoisans want common-sense leaders, not extreme politicians more interested in pushing political agendas than helping lower the cost of living for working families."
He has vowed to lower the cost of living for working Illinois families and "represent all of Illinois, not just Chicago."
Illinois has not elected a Republican to the U.S. Senate since 2010.
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