2026 U.S. Senate candidate profile: Illinois Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton
Retiring U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin's seat is so attractive that three of Illinois' most well-known elected officials are giving up their current spots in the House of Representatives to run for it.
CBS News Chicago Political Reporter Chris Tye is taking a closer look at the top candidates in a crowded race, including Lt. Gov. Julianna Stratton, who was the first Democrat to enter the race after Durbin announced last year that he would not run for re-election.
A former state representative, Stratton has been Gov. JB Pritzker's lieutenant governor since he first took office in 2019.
Stratton has said her approach to fixing the immigration crisis in the U.S. is to focus on abolishing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, accusing the agency of routinely using excessive force, racial profiling, and subjecting detainees to inhumane conditions.
"We need to prosecute those agents that have committed crimes. We need to prosecute them and hold them accountable," Stratton said. "The system is rotten to the core right now. We are seeing the terror that's being inflicted upon our communities."
TYE: "To use the phrase 'abolish ICE' is sort of a mallet, and some might say this requires more of a scalpel, because ICE does more than just the things you're enumerating.
STRATTON: "And what I'm saying is is that this ICE cannot be reformed, in my book. It cannot be reformed."
The Democratic Lieutenant Governor's Association, which is helping get Stratton elected, has received a six-figure donation from ICE contractor CoreCivic. The DLGA said they'll donate that money to the National Immigration Law Center.
Stratton said she agrees with the move.
Meantime, asked for some key differences between herself and her opponents, Stratton noted she's the only candidate in the race who has held statewide office.
"That leads to the second big thing, and that is that we have delivered for the people of Illinois consistently in the things that really matter to people. We've raised wages, we have protected women's reproductive freedom, and made Illinois really an island for reproductive rights in the Midwest," she said.
Stratton has repeatedly said there's nothing she can think of that she agrees with President Trump about, and she continues to stand behind that.
"Donald Trump is not a normal president, he is not a normal person, and I don't put him in the category of someone who comes to the table in good faith trying to do what's best for the American people. He wants to be a dictator," she said.
If elected, Stratton would have to work with Chicago's City Hall for the next six years. Asked whether she'll support Mayor Brandon Johnson if he runs for a second term in 2027, Stratton said, "we'll see."
A political action committee supporting Stratton received a $5 million contribution in December from Gov. JB Pritzker, who has endorsed Stratton.
Stratton is polling in second place behind Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi, who also holds a substantial lead in fundraising.
