Stratton Wins Democratic Primary, Ex-Republican Chair Don Tracy Gets GOP Nod In U.S. Senate Race: AP

The Associated Press has declared Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton the winner of the Democratic primary in Illinois’ U.S. Senate race and called the Republican primary race for former Illinois GOP chairman Don Tracy.

With current U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin ending his long legislative career, a wide field of candidates threw their hats into the ring for the 2026 primary.

Now, voters have decided who will appear on the Nov. 3 general election ballot.

Just before 8:40 p.m., the Associated Press projected Tracy would win the GOP primary.

An hour later, AP also projected Stratton to win over Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, who currently represents the 8th Congressional District.

The number of votes cast in this 2026 Democratic primary has surpassed that of any Democratic Senate primary in a non-presidential year in decades and is even expected to exceed that of the 2004 primary, when Barack Obama was elected to the U.S. Senate, the New York Times reports.

The Democratic primary ballot included Stratton, who was backed by Gov. J.B. Pritzker and U.S. Sen Tammy Duckworth, as well as U.S. Reps. Robin Kelly of Lynwood and Krishnamoorthi of Schaumburg. Also on the ballot were Awisi Bustos, daughter-in-law of former U.S. Rep. Cheri Bustos, as well as Steve Botsford Jr., Sean Brown, Jonathan Dean, Bryan Maxwell, Kevin Ryan and Christopher Swann.

A native of the South Side of Chicago, Stratton previously served as a state representative from 2017 to 2019 before becoming lieutenant governor.

Born in New Delhi, India, Krishnamoorthi moved to the U.S. as a child, later attending Princeton and Harvard, and served as policy director in former President Barack Obama's 2004 Senate campaign.

Krishnamoorthi, who has represented the 8th District since 2017, said he had called to congratulate Stratton on her win.

"I trust that she will continue the lasting legacy that Senator Durbin leaves behind," he said on social media. "Only in America can an immigrant with twenty-nine letters in his name go from public housing and food stamps to the halls of Congress. I will continue to fight for our country, the greatest on Earth, to make the United States of America the kind of country we all still believe in."

Stratton shared a brief message of gratitude on social media, writing, "Thank you, Illinois. Tonight’s message is clear – we’re ready to take our democracy back into our own hands."

Republican Primary

On the Republican side were Tracy, attorney Jeannie Evans and Polish-born entrepreneur Casey Chlebek, as well as R. Cary Capparelli, Pamela Denise Long and Jimmy Lee Tillman II.

Tracy previously served as the chairman of the Illinois Republican Party but resigned in 2024, just weeks before the Republican National Convention, citing "power struggles" within the party. He also previously ran for lieutenant governor in 2010 and sought a state Senate seat as a Democrat in 2002, NPR reported.

On his campaign Facebook page, Tracy did not immediately post a statement about his own primary win, but touted an open bar at his Election Night watch party and said of Stratton, "Julianna Stratton is the most progressive U.S. Senate candidate Illinois has ever seen. 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."

Later, Tracy shared a statement saying, "It’s an honor to be your next Republican nominee for U.S. Senate. It’s time to make Illinois a two party state again. I’ll defend the American Dream and advocate for our common sense values as your Senator. Thank you for your support."

Here are the unofficial vote totals as of 9:24 p.m.:

Under Illinois law, ballots may be counted for up to 14 days after the election, so election results will not be final until then.