Leading Democratic candidate Rep.Raja Krishnamoorthi faced strong opposition from Illinois Lt. Gov. Julianna Stratton during the first formal debate in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate.
Krishnamoorthi holds a nearly 20-point lead but a large number of voters, anywhere from 30% to more than 40%, remain undecided.
As the frontrunner in the race to replace retiring Sen. Dick Durbin, Krishnamoorthi faced direct attacks. With Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in the headlines, Stratton pounced.
“My opponent, Congressman Krishnamoorthi, who as they started to attack the city of Chicago last summer, he went onto the House floor in Washington, D.C., and voted to thank ICE,” Stratton said.
“99% of that resolution was about condemning anti-Semitism following an attack on 14 Jews in Boulder, Colorado,” Krishnamoorthi responded.
Rep. Robin Kelly also participated in the debate but stayed out of the fray.
Kelly was asked if she agreed with former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, who previously said those over 75 years old should not run for elected office.
“Yes there’s some that have stayed too long, I would be the first to admit that…also there’s people still churning it out at 75, 76, 80,” she stated.
While two candidates said they would support Sen. Chuck Schumer as the Senate Democratic leader, one opposed his leadership.
“I will not support Chuck Schumer as leader in the Senate, and I’m the only person on this stage that has said so,” Stratton said.
The candidates were asked if they would support Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson if he runs for re-election, and all three said they were all undecided.
“I don’t know he’s running again, he hasn’t said that to me,” Kelly said.
“My support for him will depend on – do we do more of building on consensus and bringing people together to tackle common problems,” Krishnamoorthi said.
“I don’t know if he has announced that he’s running for election, so I have no comment on that at this time,” Stratton said.
While Krishnamoorthi, Stratton and Kelly are leading in the polls, several other Democrats are also vying for the nomination. Six Republicans are running in that party’s primary. A detailed list of candidates can be found here.
Don Tracy, a Republican candidate who is a former chair of the Illinois Republican Party, released a statement following the debate:
“Tonight’s debate made one thing clear: the candidates running on the Democrat side want more of the same, and their far-left agenda is too extreme for everyday Illinoisans.
Raja Krishnamoorthi, Juliana Stratton, and Robin Kelly are all career politicians who have spent years advancing extreme agendas that put politics over people. That agenda has given us unaffordable utility bills, rising cost-of-living, and pro-criminal policies that have made our streets and neighborhoods less safe.
Illinois doesn’t need another politician auditioning for the progressive base. We need a strong leader who will champion common sense solutions, lower the cost-of-living for working families, and represent all of Illinois, not just Chicago.
I stepped up to run for the U.S. Senate because I’ve seen what career politicians with extreme agendas are doing to our country. I’ve worked in warehouses, run a small business, made payroll, raised a family, and helped farmers and manufacturers all across Illinois. I understand what everyday Illinoisans are up against, because I’ve lived it.
This race is about who will fight for working families versus who will keep playing political games. I am ready to defend the American Dream with strength, leadership, and common sense.”
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