Krishnamoorthi leads Senate race fundraising, but $5 million from Pritzker boosts Stratton
Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton’s U.S. Senate effort got a needed bounce from Gov. JB Pritzker’s $5 million donation to a super PAC supporting her campaign, but rival U.S. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi finished the year with a more formidable war chest, federal records show.
Krishnamoorthi, of Schaumburg, reported $15.2 million cash on hand in his campaign fund as of Dec. 31, according to a Federal Election Commission report filed Saturday.
U.S. Rep. Robin Kelly of Lynwood, another front-runner, had nearly $1.6 million on hand, followed by Chicagoan Stratton with $1.12 million.
The three are running in the March 17 primary for the Democratic nomination to replace the retiring Sen. Dick Durbin.
The top GOP fundraiser in the Senate race is former Illinois Republican Party Chair Don Tracy, who reported $2 million on hand, records show.
Illinois Future PAC spent $2 million on a Dec. 26 ad buy promoting Stratton. One of the first Illinois Future PAC contributors, with a $1 million donation in August, was Jennifer Pritzker, an heir to the Hyatt hotel empire and cousin of the governor.
JB Pritzker made his $5 million donation to the PAC on Dec. 4. The committee took in $6.2 million in 2025 and ended with $4 million in the bank.
Krishnamoorthi, who has consistently led in polls, started running ads in summer 2025.
Kelly’s first commercial aired Jan. 30, while Illinois Future PAC launched three ads showcasing Stratton last month. In addition to his donation, Pritzker campaigned with Stratton Jan. 28.
Asked about the reliability of early polls, College of DuPage political science Professor Melissa Mouritsen said, “Krishnamoorthi has been a front-runner for literally years, so it may be reflecting some of that built-in bias.”
Meanwhile, although cash is important, it all comes down to what a candidate does with it, she added.
“I am unsure what her ground game looks like — (Stratton) has run statewide previously but Krishnamoorthi has experience running a ground campaign,” Mouritsen said. “I am not convinced, given Krishnamoorthi’s war chest, it will make much of a difference. But this may not be the last infusion of cash into Illinois Future PAC.”
Who raised the most?
Krishnamoorthi’s campaign raised $3.6 million in the last quarter of 2025 and spent about $6.4 million, FEC filings indicate.
Stratton reported $1.1 million in receipts and about $912,380 in expenditures.
Kelly’s campaign garnered nearly $212,940 and spent about $595,000.
Tracy, who lent his campaign $2 million in August, received nearly $83,710 in contributions and spent about $108,150 in the last three months of 2025.
Other significant fundraisers in the contest include former congressional aide Democrat Steve Botsford and Republican attorney Jeanne Evans, both Chicagoans. She had over $298,590 cash in hand at the end of 2025 and Botsford reported $128,180.