Krishnamoorthi concedes, as Stratton wins Democratic Senate duel
Democrat Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton accepted her party’s nomination for U.S. Senate, after top rival U.S. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi conceded Tuesday night.
With 82% of primary votes counted, Stratton had garnered 39.6% of the vote compared to 33.4% for Krishnamoorthi — while U.S. Rep Robin Kelly’s tally was about 18.5%, according to unofficial results.
“We did it. We showed what’s possible,” Stratton said to a cheering crowd in Chicago. “We’re ready to take our democracy back into our own hands.
“Together, we confronted one of our most frightening moments of our lifetime. But despite the fear, we never lost sight of what was most important and that was courage,” she said. “This is our fight, and when we stand together there is not a force in this world that can break us.”
Stratton’s win was also a victory for Gov. JB Pritzker, who has been rumored to be considering a presidential bid.
“Only in this country, could my story happen,” said Krishnamoorthi, a four-term congressman who touted his immigrant background in the Senate campaign.
“I pledge I will continue to do that job (in Congress) to the best of my ability and fight for the country that we all believe in,” the Schaumburg resident said of his remaining months in the U.S. House.
Krishnamoorthi seemed to have the initial advantage after months spent campaigning across Illinois and building a major war chest.
But looming over the election was Pritzker, who used his considerable clout to support Stratton as well as donating millions directly and indirectly to his outgoing running mate.
On the Republican side, The Associated Press has declared former GOP state party chair Don Tracy the winner with 40% of the vote compared with 22.4% for Chicago attorney Jeannie Evans and 11.5% for retired IT professional Casey Chlebek of Lake Forest. That’s with 40% of total votes counted.
Other GOP candidates are university instructor R. Cary Capparelli of Chicago, Edwardsville occupational therapist Pamela Denise Long, and author and Chicagoan Jimmy Lee Tillman II.
Democratic debates over policy devolved into who was tougher on President Donald Trump and campaign finance mudslinging, with both Stratton and Krishnamoorthi accusing the other of benefiting from MAGA-related super PACs.
“Most voters are caught up in the fog of negative ads and mailers combined with the absurd ‘independent spending,’” involving super PACs, political analyst Bill Morris said.
“It is very absurd and pretty much makes it nearly impossible for Joe and Jane Sixpack to make a decision on these big money campaigns. We need some kind of spending limits or we will continue to lose representative democracy. Unfortunately, negative ads and mailers work.” added Morris, a former Democratic state senator and Grayslake mayor.
Other Democrats on the ballot are former congressional aide and Chicagoan Steve Botsford; attorney Sean Brown of Orland Park; nonprofit executive Awisi Bustos of Springfield; Chicagoan Jonathan Dean, a lawyer; engineer Bryan Maxwell of Urbana; Chicago teacher Kevin Ryan; and Chicagoan Christopher Swann, a manager at Feed America.