The 2026 Illinois Senate race: Juliana Stratton vs. Don Tracy

Active · last development Nov 1, 2026: “Juliana Stratton wins U.S. Senate spot in Illinois”

Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton, a Democrat, won Illinois's 2026 Senate race on November 3, defeating Republican Don Tracy to succeed Dick Durbin, the Senate's No. 2 Democrat, who retired after more than four decades representing the state in Congress.[1][2]

Overview updated Nov 5, 2026

See the timeline
Photo from The Boston Globe, with Dick Durbin of Illinois, the Senate’s No. 2 Democrat, won’t seek reelection to a sixth term in 2026 (Apr 23, 2025), the story with the most sources this week.
What this arc covers

The 2026 race for the Illinois U.S. Senate seat Dick Durbin is leaving: Durbin's retirement, the Democratic primary between Juliana Stratton and Raja Krishnamoorthi, and Stratton's win. Stratton won the seat in November, defeating Republican Don Tracy.

Earliest story we hold Apr 23, 2025 · 6 stories · 43 sources (counted once each) · 557 days

Part ofDick DurbinIllinoisUnited States SenateDemocratic PartyDonald TrumpJB Pritzker

Background

Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois announced in April 2025 that he would not seek a sixth term.[2] Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton launched her campaign to succeed him the next day,[3] and Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi joined the Democratic field in May with significant fundraising behind him.[4] In the March 2026 primary, Stratton defeated Krishnamoorthi and Rep. Robin Kelly. She said she would strongly oppose the Trump administration and would not vote for any of its appointees.[5] In their only face-to-face meeting of the campaign, in October, Stratton vowed to serve as a check on President Donald Trump, while Tracy largely defended his positions.[6]

Supporting stories (6)
  1. Juliana Stratton wins U.S. Senate spot in Illinois
  2. Dick Durbin of Illinois, the Senate’s No. 2 Democrat, won’t seek reelection to a sixth term in 2026
  3. Illinois Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton launches U.S. Senate campaign to replace Durbin
  4. Krishnamoorthi joins Illinois Senate race
  5. Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton wins Democratic Senate primary in Illinois
  6. Juliana Stratton and Don Tracy clash over economy and foreign policy in Senate debate

Overview updated Nov 5, 2026

Part of The 2026 Senate races

  1. The 2026 Kentucky Senate race: Andy Barr vs. Charles BookerFeb 20, 2025 – Nov 4, 2026
  2. The 2026 New Hampshire Senate race: Chris Pappas vs. John E. SununuMar 12, 2025 – Nov 3, 2026
  3. The 2026 Illinois Senate race: Juliana Stratton vs. Don TracyThis arcApr 23, 2025 – Nov 1, 2026
  4. The 2026 Minnesota Senate race: Peggy Flanagan vs. Michele TafoyaApr 29, 2025 – Nov 3, 2026
  5. The 2026 Georgia Senate race: Jon Ossoff vs. Mike CollinsMay 5, 2025 – Nov 3, 2026
  6. The 2026 Nebraska Senate race: Pete Ricketts vs. Dan OsbornJul 8, 2025 – Nov 4, 2026
  7. The 2026 North Carolina Senate race: Roy Cooper vs. Michael WhatleyJul 24, 2025 – Nov 3, 2026
  8. The 2026 Iowa Senate race: Josh Turek vs. Ashley HinsonAug 29, 2025 – Nov 3, 2026
Show remaining 11 arcs
  1. The 2026 Maine Senate race: Troy Jackson vs. Susan CollinsNov 14, 2024 – Nov 3, 2026
  2. The 2026 Ohio Senate race: Jon Husted vs. Sherrod BrownJan 15, 2025 – Nov 4, 2026
  3. The 2026 Florida Senate race: Ashley Moody vs. Angie NixonJan 16, 2025 – Nov 2, 2026
  4. The 2026 Massachusetts Senate race: Ed Markey vs. Seth MoultonOct 15, 2025 – Nov 3, 2026
  5. The 2026 Wyoming Senate race: Harriet Hageman vs. James ByrdDec 19, 2025 – Nov 4, 2026
  6. The 2026 Alaska Senate race: Dan Sullivan vs. Mary PeltolaJan 12 – Nov 10, 2026
  7. The 2026 Louisiana Senate race: Bill Cassidy's defeat and Julia Letlow's winJan 18 – Nov 3, 2026
  8. The 2026 Texas Senate race: James Talarico vs. Ken PaxtonApr 28 – Nov 9, 2026
  9. The 2026 Michigan Senate race: Abdul El-Sayed vs. Mike RogersAug 3 – Nov 7, 2026
  10. The 2026 South Carolina Senate race: Darline Graham vs. Annie AndrewsAug 4 – Nov 4, 2026
  11. The 2026 Kansas Senate race: Roger Marshall vs. Adam HamiltonAug 5 – Nov 4, 2026

Where it standsnewest first · each bar runs left to right by leaning

Nov 1– 42026Juliana Stratton wins U.S. Senate spot in Illinois24 articles · 15 sources
4 left, 8 center, 3 right
Oct 212026Juliana Stratton and Don Tracy clash over economy and foreign policy in Senate debate4 articles · 4 sources
2 left, 2 center, 0 right
Mar 182026Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton wins Democratic Senate primary in Illinois14 articles · 13 sources
4 left, 7 center, 1 right

Who covered it, over timeshare of the sources publishing each week, by side

Apr 21, 2025 - Nov 8, 2026

Share of the sources publishing each week that covered it

0%4%8%12%16%20%
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Apr 2025Aug 2025Dec 2025Mar 2026Jul 2026Nov 2026

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Week of Nov 2, 2026 - Nov 8, 2026: 4 left, 8 center, 2 right, 3% of the sources that published that week · 22 articles

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WeekLeftCenterRightArticlesShare
Apr 21, 2025 - Apr 27, 202561784315%
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Oct 19, 2026 - Oct 25, 20262204under 1%
Oct 26, 2026 - Nov 1, 20260112under 1%
Nov 2, 2026 - Nov 8, 2026482223%

Stories before June 28, 2026 come from archived pages, so who covered them is limited to the outlets we recovered for that period.

26% left · 53% center · 21% right of 43 sources on the spectrum, across 6 stories.

Every storynewest first

  1. November 2026

    1. Nov 1– 4Juliana Stratton wins U.S. Senate spot in Illinois24 articles · 15 sources
      4 left, 8 center, 3 right

  2. October 2026

  3. March 2026

    1. Mar 18Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton wins Democratic Senate primary in Illinois14 articles · 13 sources
      4 left, 7 center, 1 right

  1. May 2025

    1. May 7Krishnamoorthi joins Illinois Senate race6 articles · 6 sources
      2 left, 2 center, 2 right

  2. April 2025

    1. Apr 24Illinois Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton launches U.S. Senate campaign to replace Durbin5 articles · 5 sources
      0 left, 4 center, 1 right