Illinois’ open U.S. Senate race tests Gov. Pritzker’s influence ahead of possible presidential bid

CHICAGO — A rare opportunity for Illinois to elect a new U.S. senator has sparked a political brawl among the state’s three leading Democratic candidates.

Yet the Democratic primary to replace outgoing U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin has also become a political test for another candidate in Tuesday’s vote: Gov. JB Pritzker.

The billionaire is supporting Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton over two established members of the U.S. House of Representatives, Raja Krishnamoorthi and Robin Kelly. Pritzker invested millions in Stratton’s election, campaigned alongside him at senior centers and even appeared in an expletive-filled TV ad aimed at Trump. But Pritzker’s looming presence has created new problems with criticism from prominent Black Democrats, questions about the 2028 presidential candidate’s possible influence and voter discomfort with how he uses his wealth.

“Money should not be a factor that tips the scales in the political arena,” said Maria Pike, an anti-violence activist from Chicago. Even as a staunch Pritzker supporter, she isn’t comfortable with the millions the governor, who is running unopposed in his own primary, spent to elect Stratton. She votes for Kelly.

Millions raised

Sixteen candidates have filed since Durbin, the Senate’s second-ranking Democrat, announced his retirement after 30 years as a senator.

PHOTOS: Illinois’ open U.S. Senate race tests Gov. JB Pritzker’s influence ahead of possible presidential bid

The winner of the 10-way Democratic primary is favored to win in the blue state in November. Illinois hasn’t had a Republican senator since 2016, when Mark Kirk was defeated by Democrat Tammy Duckworth.

Among the frontrunners are Krishnamoorthi, 52, a five-term congressman who was the first to air television ads in July. Krishnamoorthi is a prodigious fundraiser, generating more than $30 million between mid-2025 and last month.

He evaded questions about Pritzker.

“Ultimately, voters will make their decision. They don’t want someone else to decide for them,” Krishnamoorthi said. “We’re on the right track. We just need to get through it as quickly as possible.”

Among all 2,026 Senate candidates this election cycle, Krishnamoorthi was second in fundraising, behind Democrat Jon Ossoff of Georgia, according to Federal Election Commission data.

Far behind were Kelly, who raised about $3.3 million, and Stratton with about $4 million during the same period.

But in December, Pritzker invested $5 million in a super PAC aimed largely at electing Stratton.

Lively debates

It is not uncommon for governors and other high-profile political figures to intervene in elections, although doing so during a primary is often divisive. Pritzker, heir to the Hyatt Hotels fortune, is uniquely situated because of his wealth. He has been the financial driver of the state party for years and has supported numerous candidates in Illinois and nationally.

But no other promotion has been so closely tied to his own career.

Pritzker chose Stratton as his running mate in 2017, a few months into her only term as a state lawmaker. When asked about her greatest accomplishments, she cites her support of Pritzker’s policies, including raising Illinois’ minimum wage.

Stratton was dynamic in the debates, lambasting Krishnamoorthi’s voting record and funding sources so harshly that he joked that he would need a “bulletproof vest” during a televised forum in January.

In his first TV ad, voters and Senator Duckworth hurl insults at Trump. Although Stratton and Pritzker do not use it, they appear together smiling.

“It reflects what so many people are feeling right now. Why are we playing around pretending it’s normal times?” » said Stratton. “People are looking for fire.”

She said there was no downside to Pritzker’s support.

Pritzker blasting

Not everyone agrees.

Earlier this month, the Congressional Black Caucus, of which Kelly is a member, threw its support behind him.

“Governor Pritzker’s efforts to tip the scales in Illinois’ U.S. Senate race are beyond frustrating,” Rep. Yvette Clarke of New York, who leads the caucus, said in a statement. “A sitting governor should not be overbearing in the race. Frankly, his behavior in this race will not soon be forgotten by any of us.”

Kelly, 69, said she did not solicit the message.

“They see what’s happening and they feel like a very qualified woman coming forward is already there,” she said. “Just because you don’t have the most money doesn’t mean you haven’t done the most.”

She pointed to incumbent Gov. Tim Walz, who has not endorsed any candidate in Minnesota’s U.S. Senate race, where Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan and U.S. Rep. Angie Craig are running for the Democratic nomination.

Kelly was first elected in 2013, campaigning on a gun control message that resonated in the district that includes Chicago’s South Side, suburbs and farmland. With her message in favor of the people rather than profits, she stands out as a progressive, notably condemning Israeli attacks in Gaza as genocide.

Chicago voter Kiyonna Mosely, 49, said she trusts Pritzker but lacks Stratton’s sense. She likes Kelly’s record on fighting gun violence and finds it relevant.

“She kind of speaks my language when she speaks, always frankly,” Mosely said. “She experienced a lot of things that I experienced as a black woman.”

Pritzker support

Pritzker defended his involvement appropriately. He added that he did not blame CBC/Radio-Canada for “defending one of their friends.”

“I’m working very hard to elect someone as a U.S. senator, a black woman, who will be a member of the Congressional Black Caucus when she wins,” he told reporters last week in Springfield. “Of the three Democrats running, we think she has the best chance to be a great U.S. senator.”

Some appreciate his contribution.

Pritzker is credited with bringing stability to the state, something voter Susan Stockman appreciated about him. The 73-year-old retired teacher from suburban Chicago is voting for Stratton in part because of Pritzker.

“He did a great job as anyone can do,” she said. “I don’t think it’s possible to get too involved.”

The outcome of Tuesday’s election will also be seen as a sign of Pritzker’s political influence, just as he is mentioned as a potential presidential candidate in 2028. Pritzker put more than $25 million into his campaign war chest last year, fueling speculation that he was preparing a broader campaign, although he has been coy about his presidential ambitions.

Reaching Voters

Recently, Stratton has been more visible during Pritzker’s government appearances. On Thursday, Pritzker surprised her with a series of appearances at senior living centers on Chicago’s South Side. Already one of Trump’s most vocal critics, Pritzker told residents of a majority-black neighborhood that Stratton offered a new avenue to confront the president.

“My governing partner of seven years decided it was time for her to take this fight to Washington on my behalf,” he told residents.

Candidates also put energy into reaching voters across the state. Stratton, 60, was born and raised in Chicago, but says her experience on a rural communities commission made her a household name in the Upstate. Kelly also touts her time in Peoria, about 150 miles southwest of Chicago, where she went to college.

Krishnamoorthi, who was born in India and raised in Peoria, said he has for years been building support in communities outside his suburban Chicago district, meeting with residents on Medicare starting in 2023 and gaining support from prominent upstate Democrats.

The approach appealed to Kimberly Beal, 63, who lives in Kelly’s congressional district and attended Stratton’s event Thursday. She is thinking about voting for Krishnamoorthi.

“His boots in terms of group approach are the ones I like,” she said. “He makes a pragmatic appeal.”

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Associated Press writer John O’Connor in Springfield, Illinois, contributed to this report.