The democratic nominee swept the city’s Black wards, where Congresswoman Robin Kelly placed second.
On a wild Election Day that saw the political careers of several veteran Congressmen end in defeat, Lt. Governor Juliana Stratton won most of Chicago’s 50 wards and the city’s Black vote, as Illinois voters elected her the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senator and boosted Governor J.B. Pritzker’s presidential hopes in 2028.
Stratton’s victory was viewed as bittersweet by some Black voters, who said money determined the outcome of a race in which many believed Stratton’s opponent, Congresswoman Robin Kelly, was the most qualified candidate.
It was an expensive statewide election powered by big money, special interest groups, and Pritzker’s political muscle, which helped Stratton push through concerns about a split Black vote as she defied expectations and won cities in downstate Illinois.
Hours after the polls closed, Stratton captured more than 40 percent of the vote in a crowded field of 10 candidates that included her main opponents, Kelly and Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi.
As of Wednesday, March 18, Stratton received 477,419 votes in Illinois.
About 155,782 of those votes came from Chicago, where Stratton dominated, winning 46 of the city’s 50 wards according to a Crusader analysis of election data from the Chicago Board of Elections.
The data shows that Stratton’s campaign crossed racial and ethnic lines as Black, Latino and white voters supported her at the polls.
According to election data, Krishnamoorthi won four wards, including the 13th (Latino) and the predominantly white 38th, 39th, and 50th wards.
Stratton won all 17 predominantly Black wards in Chicago, capturing 47.32 percent of the Black vote. Kelly finished second to Stratton in every Black ward with 37.61 percent of the Black vote. Krishnamoorthi won just 15.07 percent; the remainder was split among the other seven candidates.
Kelly captured over 50 percent of the vote in 11 Black wards, including the 4th and 5th wards, which are part of the 2nd Congressional District she served for 13 years before running for the Senate.
There was concern that a split Black vote between Stratton and Kelly would help Krishnamoorthi win the race. In the final weeks of the campaign, Krishnamoorthi ran television ads that critics say promoted Kelly as part of a plan to split the Black vote even further to benefit Krishnamoorthi.
But Stratton’s appeal was strong enough to defy a split Black vote by Kelly. In downstate Illinois, Stratton won Peoria, Springfield, and neighboring cities and towns in the state’s southwest region.
The Senate race now moves to the General Election in November, where Stratton will face Republican Don Tracy. Stratton is heavily favored to win and will become the second Black woman in Illinois history to serve in the U.S. Senate.
Stratton’s victory is a win for Governor Pritzker, a billionaire who gave $5 million to Stratton’s campaign to compete against Krishnamoorthi, who raised $30 million for the race. Krishnamoorthi also received $10 million in support from the crypto-backed super-PAC Fairshake, among other entities.
Stratton, Krishnamoorthi and Kelly all ran campaigns that included criticism of ICE and President Donald Trump.
In televised debates and political ads, Stratton was perhaps the most convincing candidate. During debates, she spoke with fire and energy that made her opponents appear flat and dull despite their experience. In one YouTube ad, voters on the street praised Stratton and said “F—— Trump.”
With her win, Stratton is on the cusp of an extraordinary achievement. No other lieutenant governor in Illinois who has run for governor or Senator has won a political race in recent memory.
In 1972, when Paul Simon was lieutenant governor, he ran for governor and lost the primary despite the backing of then-Chicago Mayor Richard J. Daley’s powerful political machine. In 1980, Lt. Governor Dave O’Neal lost to Alan Dixon in a U.S. Senate race. In 1988, Lt. Governor Bob Kustra, serving under Governor Jim Edgar, ran for Senator but lost in the primary. In 2002, Lt. Governor Corinne Wood ran for governor; she lost in the primary.
The biggest winner Tuesday may be Pritzker; the kingmaker whose White House ambitions received a boost from Stratton’s victory.
However, Pritzker’s $5 million campaign contribution and his involvement in Stratton’s campaign could create a thorny relationship with the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC), which backed Kelly, whose campaign lacked the financial clout needed to boost her chances.
New York Congresswoman Yvette Clarke, chair of the CBC, rebuked Pritzker’s involvement in the Senate race, accusing the governor of trying to “tip the scales in Illinois,” which she said is “beyond frustrating.”
Several years ago, Kelly was forced out as chair of the Democratic Party of Illinois after Pritzker supported a Latino candidate. Kelly’s campaign for the U.S. Senate rekindled bad feelings among Blacks about Pritzker’s move.
Pritzker is riding a wave of voter momentum as he tightens his grip on the Illinois Democratic Party. He is likely to win a third term this November after running unopposed in the Democratic primary with his running mate for Lt. Governor, Christian Mitchell.
“He’s put his thumb on the race. Seventy-three percent of her donations came from one family,” Kelly said Tuesday afternoon, referring to Pritzker’s financial backing of Stratton.