Sen. Tammy Duckworth on Monday endorsed Juliana Stratton to be her next seatmate from Illinois, which gives the two-term lieutenant governor backing from two of the state’s highest-ranking Democrats before any other competitors have announced a bid for retiring Sen. Dick Durbin’s seat.
Stratton announced her Senate candidacy Thursday, a day after the 80-year-old Durbin said he would not seek a sixth term. On Friday, Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker gave Stratton his endorsement, creating expectations that his power and wealth could pre-empt a lengthy field from developing.
Duckworth, who will become the state’s senior senator when Durbin retires after at the end of his term in January 2027, said in a statement that Stratton has “demonstrated time and again that she truly understands and cares for working people.”
“Her many years spent in public service, along with her experience as a mom to four daughters and a caregiver to her own mother, have given her the tenacity, grit and perspective to be a true advocate on behalf of working families,” the second-term senator said. “I’d be honored to have her by my side in the Senate as we work to deliver real results for Illinoisans.”
Stratton, in the same statement, said Duckworth “exemplifies the kind of leadership working families deserve and spends every day looking for new opportunities to help communities across our states flourish.”
“I’m so honored to have her support and I will work tirelessly to bring her spirit of resilience to this campaign,” Stratton said.
Other Democrats also considering a Senate bid are U.S. Reps. Raja Krishnamoorthi of Schaumburg, Lauren Underwood of Naperville and Robin Kelly of Matteson, who has said she will make a decision on the race this week. State Treasurer Michael Frerichs also is weighing a possible bid.
So far, U.S. Rep. Darin LaHood of Peoria is the only significant Republican to say they were evaluating a possible GOP run.
