Illinois Primary Results: Democrats Nominate Likely New Members
Voters in Illinois headed to the polls Tuesday to choose their nominees for the open Senate seat vacated by Sen. Dick Durbin and a slew of open House seats. Both the Senate seat and the four open House districts are rated Solid Democratic, so the winners of the Democratic primaries will almost certainly be in Congress next year.
All of the races saw significant spending from outside groups, most notably from a network of super PACs aligned with the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, the pro-cryptocurrency group Fairshake, and the pro-AI group Leading the Future, which combined to spend at least $35 million on advertising.
Senate.
Lieutenant Governor Julianna Stratton completed a stunning come-from-behind victory over Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi in the Democratic primary, winning 40-33 percent and clearing her path to becoming the fifth Black woman elected to the Senate. Krishnamoorthi outspent Stratton nearly 10-to-1; his TV ads, which began last year, gave him an early polling lead which he did not give up until mid-February, when a pro-Stratton super PAC funded by Gov. JB Pritzker began advertising on her behalf. A $10 million anti-Stratton push from cryptocurrency group Fairshake couldn’t blunt her momentum. Rep. Robin Kelly finished third with 18 percent. Republicans nominated former state party chairman Don Tracy. Solid Democratic.
2nd District.
Cook County Commissioner Donna Miller won a comfortable 40-29 percent victory over former Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr.…
