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2026 U.S. Senate election in Illinois

Election: 11/3/2026
United States Senate • Illinois
Updated: 4/6/2026

Illinois is holding a regular U.S. Senate election for the Class II seat currently held by Dick Durbin, who announced he would not seek re-election. The race matters because it is an open seat in a large, reliably Democratic state, making the Democratic primary the decisive contest and giving the winner a strong advantage in the general election. The campaign has centered on experience, party leadership, and how aggressively to confront the Trump administration, with candidates also emphasizing affordability, health care, and labor issues. The general election is expected to reflect Illinois’s partisan lean, while the primary highlighted different styles of Democratic leadership and coalition-building.

Latest Poll

Emerson College Polling / WGN-TV · Jan 9

Krishnamoorthi
31%
Stratton
18%
View detailed results ↓

Candidates

Juliana Stratton is the lieutenant governor of Illinois and a former member of the Illinois House of Representatives. She ran for the open U.S. Senate seat in 2026 and won the Democratic nomination, positioning herself as a continuation of the Pritzker administration’s agenda and a progressive voice on issues such as health care and economic fairness.

Raja Krishnamoorthi is a U.S. representative from Illinois’s 8th congressional district and a former state and federal policy aide. He ran for the Senate in 2026, emphasizing his congressional experience, anti-corruption and oversight work, and a message focused on working families, affordability, and opposition to Donald Trump’s policies.

Robin Kelly is a U.S. representative from Illinois’s 2nd congressional district and previously served in the Illinois House and in state and county government. She ran for the Senate in 2026, presenting herself as an experienced legislator focused on health care, gun violence prevention, and economic issues, with an emphasis on representing diverse urban, suburban, and rural constituencies.

Polling

Emerson College Polling / WGN-TV Jan 9, 2026
n=600
Raja Krishnamoorthi
31%
Juliana Stratton
18%
Raja Krishnamoorthi
31%
Robin Kelly
12%
Source

Data Analysis Information

Data compiled from public sources and analyzed using AI. Last updated 4/6/2026. Visit candidate websites for the most current information.

Models: GPT-5 MiniGPT-5 Nano

© 2026 Smarter.vote. Analyzing public information to help voters make informed decisions.

Always verify information by visiting candidate websites directly. This tool provides analysis for informational purposes only.