IL-SEN: Will Illinois Send a Black Woman to the Senate? A Messy Primary Will Decide.

Only five Black women have ever served in the Senate, and Democrats who are trying to elect a sixth this year in Illinois worry that the chance may be squandered.

The reasons are a classic tale of Chicago politics, with yearslong personal animosity and a refusal by Democratic leaders to coalesce behind a single candidate.

Representative Raja Krishnamoorthi, who is running to become only the second Indian American senator, has long been seen as the front-runner in the Democratic primary race. But he is facing an increasingly competitive challenge from Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton, who is Black and is backed by millions from Gov. JB Pritzker’s personal fortune.

Ms. Stratton’s bid has been complicated by the presence in the race of Representative Robin Kelly, another Black woman, who trails well behind in the limited polls of the contest. Backed by the Congressional Black Caucus, she is viewed as pulling a significant slice of Black voters away from the lieutenant governor.



https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/12/us/politics/illinois-senate-primary-stratton-kelly-krishnamoorthi.html