What to know about Illinois' US Senate race between Juliana Stratton and Don Tracy – NBC 5 Chicago

What to know about Illinois’ US Senate race between Juliana Stratton and Don Tracy  NBC 5 Chicago

In one of the most closely watched races of the 2026 midterm elections in Illinois, Democratic Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton and former chair of the Illinois… With just two days until the midterm election, candidates spent the weekend making their final push to attract voters. Political Reporter Mary Ann Ahern reports. In one of the most closely watched races of the 2026 midterm elections in Illinois, Democratic Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton and former chair of the Illinois Republican Party Don Tracy are vying for a long-held U.S. Senate seat. The contest to replace Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin, the Senate's No. 2 Democrat, who retires in January, is unfolding as Republicans and Democrats battle for control of the Senate.

Stratton, who has served as Illinois' lieutenant governor since 2019, won the Democratic nomination with the backing of Gov. JB Pritzker. Tracy, an attorney who led the Illinois Republican Party from 2021 to 2024, clinched the GOP nomination. 2026 midterm election: NBC Chicago's complete voter's guide can be found here. Most recently, Stratton criticized U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens' endorsement of Mike Rogers in Michigan's U.S. Senate race, calling the move "a complete betrayal of Michigan, of voters, and of everything Congresswoman Stevens claims to stand for." "If you truly care about Black communities, women, immigrants, workers' rights, or democracy — you could