Juliana Stratton Surging in Final Weeks of IL Senate Race

TO:             Interested Parties
FROM:       EMILYs List
RE:            Juliana Stratton Surging in Final Weeks of IL Senate Race
DATE:        2/26/2026

EMILYs List–endorsed Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton enters the final month of Illinois’s 2026 U.S. Senate primary in a commanding position, and momentum decisively on her side. Over the past two months, the energy in this race has shifted squarely toward Stratton as voters rally behind her candidacy.

With weeks to go in a highly competitive race, Democrats have a critical opportunity to send another woman to the Senate if this momentum continues through Election Day.

Momentum is Behind Juliana

A new poll from Public Policy Polling (PPP) released yesterday shows Lt. Gov. Stratton surging. The poll shows the race essentially tied and the LG within the margin of error. That’s a nine-point swing towards Juliana in the last three weeks — despite more than $25 million in paid media spending from her opponent. The data signals a clear growing appetite among voters for proven statewide leadership over Washington-style politics. In a hypothetical two-way head to head, LG Stratton leads the Congressman 37% to 32%. Lt. Gov. Stratton’s path to victory in this race is further solidified by fact Rep. Krishnamoorthi has now resorted to running false negative ads against her to try to stall her momentum. 

Juliana is exactly the kind of bold fighter that voters are looking for this cycle. She understands the challenges middle-class and working families face — having lived many of them herself — and has a record of fighting to make life more affordable, expand economic opportunities, and protect rights and freedoms. Juliana will fight to bring the same bold progressive leadership she brought as lieutenant governor to Washington.

Primary voters are also responding to Lt. Gov. Stratton’s vocal leadership in standing up to Donald Trump, including defending Illinois against attempts to federalize the National Guard and for taking action against U.S. Border Patrol Chief Greg Bovino’s ICE raids on local communities. At a time when federal overreach and chaos remain front and center, voters are looking for leaders who will fight back — and win.

Clear Contrast in the Field

Lt. Gov. Stratton’s sharp contrast with Rep. Krishnamoorthi on key issues that are defining the race has put him firmly on defense. At a time when Illinois voters are particularly tuned into and motivated by the Trump administration’s attacks on their state, Juliana has forcefully opposed Trump’s attempts to expand executive power and deploy federal forces in Chicago and called out Rep. Krishnamoorthi for accepting campaign donations from Trump allies and ICE contractors. Over 50 elected officials and community members signed a letter condemning Rep. Krishnamoorthi’s actions and demanding accountability. Instead of taking accountability, Rep. Krishnamoorthi skipped a forum sponsored by Operation PUSH, the organization founded by the late Rev. Jesse Jackson. 

Democratic voters are demanding clarity and conviction. Lt. Gov. Stratton offers both, which is why Raja’s support is stalled and slipping among Democratic primary voters in Illinois. 

Built a Winning Coalition

Juliana is the only candidate in this race who has run and won statewide and the only candidate with experience representing the entire state, which is why she built the broadest and most influential coalition in the field — a clear demonstration of both strength and electability. She is the only candidate in the race endorsed by sitting Illinois members of Congress and has earned the support of Gov. JB Pritzker, Ambassador Carol Moseley Braun, Congressman Bobby Rush, Secretary Jesse White, Speaker Chris Welch, Sens. Tammy Duckworth, Angela Alsobrooks, Tammy Baldwin, and Elizabeth Warren, along with more than 150 state and local elected officials.

She is also backed by leading organizations, including The Illinois Federation of Teachers, the Illinois Nurses Association, SEIU Illinois State Council, the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, and IATSE Local 2 — underscoring her ability to unite Democrats and win statewide.

Bottom Line

With momentum accelerating, a proven statewide record, and the strongest coalition in the race, Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton is the best-positioned Democratic candidate in Illinois’s 2026 U.S. Senate primary. Electing Juliana represents an important opportunity toward more inclusive representation in the U.S. Senate, and would be the first time that a state would have two women of color serve as its senators at the same time — a history-making moment for our country. Even more so, as a woman from Chicago’s South Side, she brings a perspective that is rare in the Senate but deeply needed.

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