The race for Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin’s open Senate seat is heating up. Gov. JB Pritzker quickly endorsed his Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton, and now, multiple sources confirmed to NBC 5 Chicago that Pritzker and his team are using their muscle to deter other Democrats from running against Stratton.
Durbin announced last week he will retire at the end of his term, and Stratton is the only Democrat who has formally announced she’s running for his open seat in 2026.
Three members of Congress, U.S. Reps. Raja Krishnamoorthi, Robin Kelly and Lauren Underwood are considering jumping in the race, too.
One public poll released last month showed Underwood and Krishnamoorthi leading Stratton, and the Pritzker team, according to multiple sources, is focusing first on discouraging Underwood from a Senate run.
Less than 48 hours after Durbin announced he wouldn’t seek reelection, Pritzker pledged his support to Stratton. Financial backing from the billionaire governor could be a gamechanger for Stratton, as Krishnamoorthi already has fundraised $19 million.
Multiple sources told NBC 5 Chicago Pritzker and his team are working behind the scenes, telling donors Underwood is “damaged goods.”
“I’m sure he’s already behind the scenes working the phones and twisting elbows and doing a lot of things that he needs to do in order to put her in a position to be a credible candidate,” said Democratic political strategist Delmarie Cobb.
At a news conference Monday, Pritzker denied he was discouraging anyone from entering the Democratic Senate primary.
“No, that’s ridiculous. Remember, I ran for Congress when I was 31 years old. And there were an awful lot of people who said to me that, ‘It’s not your turn.’ I ran anyway. In fact, we need more young people. We need the new generation,” Pritzker told NBC 5 Chicago’s Mary Ann Ahern. “When there‘s an open opportunity, everybody who’s interested in running should step forward and do so. I would not dissuade somebody from running for public office.”
However, Pritzker, in his second reelection campaign, surprised many when he and the Democratic Governors Association spent $30 million in the Republican primary, focusing on negative ads against Aurora Mayor Richard Irvin, with the GOP frontrunner ultimately falling to former State Sen. Darren Bailey.
As for the 2026 Senate race, one Democratic elected official, who asked not to be identified for fear of retribution, had a blunt message about Priztker.
“He’s a bully, and his staff is worse,” the official said.
Cobb also pushed back on Pritzker’s denial of interference in the race.
“If it was an open process, he wouldn’t have chosen Juliana Stratton and given his endorsement of her two days after she announced. So, it’s not an open process,” Cobb said.
It’s unclear whether Pritzker’s team will succeed in its efforts to keep Underwood from running. Underwood’s campaign declined to comment.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( Sources: Pritzker team calls congresswoman ‘damaged goods' to stop Senate run )
Also on site :