Juliana Stratton: 2026 candidate for U.S. Senate

Bio

Office sought: U.S. Senate

City: Chicago

Age: 60

Occupation: Lieutenant Governor of Illinois

Previous offices held: Lieutenant Governor, State of Illinois (2019-Present), State Representative, Illinois House District 5 (2017-2018), Kenwood Academy Local School Council (2012-2015)

Q&A

What is your top issue and how do you propose to address it?

Life is way too expensive. Trump’s tariffs and rampant corporate greed are skyrocketing prices on everything from food to health care to utilities, and our families are suffering as a result.

Politicians are failing to hold corporate interests accountable, and being rewarded by them. This system fails Illinoisans. I’m the only candidate in this race rejecting corporate PAC money, because your needs should come before corporate special interests.

Illinoisans deserve a life where they can put food on the table without worrying about making rent or skipping their medication to afford it. Alongside Governor Pritzker, I’ve helped bring down costs, ensure workers are paid fairly, eliminate the grocery tax, raise the minimum wage, relieve medical debt, and lower prescription drug prices — putting money back in your pockets.

On the federal level, I’ll fight for a $25 minimum wage, Medicare for All, and a tax cut for the middle class. I want to cut red tape, build more, and ensure that families aren’t competing with big banks to afford housing.

My campaign is about giving the people what they want. Read my full affordability blueprint at JulianaStratton.com.

Do you support the unilateral foreign policy course President Trump has taken with such actions as the bombing of Iran, assaults on Venezuelan ships and the seizure of the Venezuelan president?

Trump is a wannabe dictator. He does not act in the best interest of the American people. He said he would be a president for peace, but that's not what we're seeing.

People didn’t vote to be dragged into long, costly wars. They want very basic things: quality healthcare, a living wage that allows them to feed their families, affordable housing. Trump campaigned on these things, but has broken his promises to boost his own ego. What he’s doing is not helping the American people, and it's not in our national security or economic interests.

The consequences of engaging in yet another foreign war impacts us all. It’s taxpayers who’ll have to finance it. And it’ll be our brave troops and military families making sacrifices to sustain it. It’s imperative that Congress authorizes any acts of war and has the information needed to make informed decisions.

American foreign policy should promote and defend democracy around the world. But the power to act does not rest solely with the President. Trump’s unchecked power must be stopped and Congressional authority upheld. I support legislation that ensures foreign military intervention is authorized by Congress, not a single individual.

The executive branch has expanded its powers in recent years on foreign policy, economic tariffs, executive orders and more. Are you satisfied with the direction these activities are moving? If so, why? If not, what needs to be done differently?

Trump continues to chip away at Congressional power, use the Justice Department as a tool of retribution, and abuse his office to target political “enemies” and those who refuse to bend to his every whim. He is eroding the concept of separate but co-equal branches of government, and I refuse to sit back while Trump and his cronies systematically dismantle our democracy. Illinois is fighting back. When Trump tried to deploy the National Guard to Chicago, we went to court — and won. When he tried to use federal funding as political retaliation, we beat him in court again.

I’ll always protect the separation of powers and defend the Constitution. I’d oppose Trump’s Cabinet and the Supreme Court nominees and block appointments of the federal judiciary whose blind loyalty to the President overshadows their commitment to the rule of law. I support reforming the Supreme Court, including setting term limits and deadlines to confirm new appointments or potential expansion. We need steadfast oversight, not rogue judges who rubber stamp Trump’s authoritarian agenda.

We’re living in unprecedented times, and we need leaders who will fight for Illinoisans and Americans across the country.

What should U.S. border policy be? If elected, what would you do to make it happen?

I have never shied away from defending immigrant communities, and I won’t back down now when basic rights are on the line. The Trump Administration is engineering a crisis — a spectacle designed for headlines, not for public safety. The point of this stunt is to intimidate, distract, and tear communities apart.

ICE must be abolished and the occupation of American cities must end. DHS’s immigration enforcement budget has ballooned to over $150 billion under Trump. Taxpayers have wasted over $59 million in Operation Midway Blitz alone — critical dollars better spent in programs that invest in communities. I also support legislation to increase accountability and transparency, including the Protecting Sensitive Locations Act to keep ICE out of schools, churches, and hospitals, require clear identification and banning non-medical face coverings for agents, and the codification of use of force policies for DHS. While we must address the immediate harms being done to immigrant communities, we also need to take action to repair this broken system. I want to build a better pathway to citizenship, including for Dreamers, and would proudly support the American DREAM and Promise ACT.

What should be the government’s role in assuring health care for Americans? What should be done regarding the ACA to better perform this function?

Trump’s cuts to Medicaid and Medicare rip funding away from hospitals and critical healthcare services. Meanwhile, they’ve refused to extend ACA subsidies that millions of Americans rely on for affordable coverage. We need to do better, and we need to address that the U.S. doesn’t have a healthcare system — it has a sick care system.

Having served as a caretaker for my late mother, Velma, I know that having access to quality, affordable healthcare is a lifeline for so many Illinois families. That’s why I first ran for office ten years ago — my State Representative was siding with Republicans to cut health services for seniors like my mom. So I ran against him and won, because I knew that my family, my community, and people across Illinois deserved better.

Illinois is protecting reproductive healthcare, expanding mental health services, eliminating medical debt, lowering the cost of prescription drugs, and more. While we fight for universal coverage for all, I want to bring Illinois’ blueprint to D.C. But it’s clear that the system is fundamentally broken and we need real, long-term change, not just interim fixes. That’s why I will proudly fight for Medicare for All.

What is your vision for a solution to conflicts involving Israel and the Palestinians? What should the United States be doing to advance this position?

As a mom, I’m devastated by the indescribable loss of life that we’ve seen, both on October 7th and every day since. The suffering needs to end.

Israel is our democratic ally in the Middle East and has a right to safety and security. But I want to be clear that I don’t agree with how the Prime Minister has carried out his response to October 7th. For years, Israelis have called for new elections. I agree and believe Netanyahu should step down or be removed from power.

We need a two state solution that allows dignity and self determination for Palestinians and Israelis. I want to see the U.S. surge additional humanitarian aid to Gaza and assist in the rebuilding process. We should focus on long-term stability and peace, normalizing regional partnerships between Israel and its neighbors and providing security for both Israelis and Palestinians. We need a lasting ceasefire — while I understand current negotiations are fragile, the U.S. should be doing more to ensure that both parties abide by it. I don’t believe that Trump and Netanyahu are interested in these goals. The U.S. plays a vital role in peace-building efforts, and we need steady leadership in Washington to achieve it.