Who is running for U.S. Senate in Illinois in the 2026 general election?
With U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin retiring at the end of his term, three candidates are on the ballot to fill a seat Durbin has held since 1997. Democratic Illinois Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton is facing off against former Illinois Republican Party chairman Don Tracy and independent candidate Whitfield Harrington.
Here's who is on the ballot for the general election on Nov. 3.
Who are the candidates running for U.S. Senate?
Juliana Stratton
Stratton has been the lieutenant governor of Illinois since 2019, following one term as a member of the Illinois House. She defeated 10 other Democrats in the Marcy primary, winning more than 40% of the vote.
Her priorities include allowing Medicare coverage for all, increasing the federal minimum wage to $25 per hour, and abolishing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. She's also seeking tax cuts for the middle class by increasing taxes on millionaires, and is a supporter of the John Lewis Voting Rights Act, which seeks to restore provisions of the 1965 Voting Rights Act that have been struck down by the Supreme Court.
Stratton also backs stronger gun control laws and restoring abortion protections struck down by the Supreme Court when it overturned Roe v. Wade.
Campaign website: julianastratton.com
Don Tracy
Tracy is an attorney, former chairman of the Illinois Republican Party, and former chairman of the Illinois Gaming Board. He won 40% of the vote in the March primary, defeating five other candidates on the ballot.
His priorities include affordable energy policies, lowering drug and insurance prices, reducing government spending, and securing the border.
Tracy has campaigned on lowering the cost of living for working families and said he would fight for Illinois in Washington without being a rubber stamp for either party.
Campaign website: dontracyforil.com
Whitfield Harrington
Harrington is a Chicago pastor who previously worked in banking and ran his own insurance practice. An independent candidate, he is seeking to form the American Center Party, saying, "Illinois needs a senator who governs from the center, not the extremes, from Chicago to downstate."
Harrington says he supports immigration enforcement and securing the border, but believes U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement must be reined in when its conduct is excessive. He also supports school choice, abortion rights, background checks for gun purchases, and sealing criminal records for nonviolent offenders who have completed their sentences.
Harrington also supports voter identification laws and opposes universal mail-in voting.
Campaign website: whit4ilsenate.com