According to sources who spoke with NBC News 5 Chicago, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker is not at all happy that his lieutentant governor, Juliana Stratton, whom Pritzker has anointed to slide into retiring Democrat Sen. Dick Durbin’s seat, is being challenged by other Democrats. So, Pritzker is using his considerable… presence to make it difficult for Stratton’s other challengers, especially Rep. Lauren Underwood.
So much for Democrats and their love of democracy:
The race for Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin’s open Senate seat is heating up. Gov. JB Pritzker quickly endorsed his Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton, and now, multiple sources confirmed to NBC 5 Chicago that Pritzker and his team are using their muscle to deter other Democrats from running against Stratton.
Durbin announced last week he will retire at the end of his term, and Stratton is the only Democrat who has formally announced she’s running for his open seat in 2026.
Three members of Congress, U.S. Reps. Raja Krishnamoorthi, Robin Kelly and Lauren Underwood are considering jumping in the race, too.
One public poll released last month showed Underwood and Krishnamoorthi leading Stratton, and the Pritzker team, according to multiple sources, is focusing first on discouraging Underwood from a Senate run.
It’s the Chicago Way, and the “discouragement” has taken a number of forms. Pritzker’s weight is not just his girth or political muscle, but his billionaire fortune:
Less than 48 hours after Durbin announced he wouldn’t seek reelection, Pritzker pledged his support to Stratton. Financial backing from the billionaire governor could be a gamechanger for Stratton, as Krishnamoorthi already has fundraised $19 million.
Then there are the whisper campaigns against Underwood, who some polls consider the real contender.
Multiple sources told NBC 5 Chicago Pritzker and his team are working behind the scenes, telling donors Underwood is “damaged goods.”
Politics ain’t beanbag, and there’s a contingent that does not plan to bend to Pritzker’s pressure. A PAC that seeks to get more scientists elected to public office (go figure) is opposing the Pritzker money/smear machine, according to reporting by the “McHenry County Blog”:
A new poll commissioned by 314 Action Fund shows that Representative Lauren Underwood (IL-14), a nurse and public health expert, leads the Illinois Senate ballot in every test, should Senator Dick Durbin retire. In a potential four-way race, a three-way race, and after introducing each candidate’s biography, Representative Underwood stood above the rest to Illinois voters.
Our poll last month shows @LaurenUnderwood leading every primary ballot we tested.
Lauren Underwood flipped a red seat in 2018. Republicans have spent tens of millions of dollars trying to beat her. And they lost every time.#ILSen is not for sale.https://t.co/UDx0zZyE83
— 314action (@314action) May 1, 2025
The blog’s author makes the point that number one: 314 Action is as biased as Pritzker in this case, and number two: can a nurse be characterized as a scientist?
314 Action explicitly endorsed Underwood in 2018 so whether their polling is accurate is subject to debate.
They are not the most objective source on this topic, however, what really got my attention was how the tweet went against Pritzker and Stratton.
Democrat on Democrat drama is always fun to watch, especially during a time when the party has no clear leadership. Elitist pols like Pritzker are jockeying for the position of top dog, along with the progressive crazies in Congress. Pritzker’s handpicked candidate garnering this long-standing Democrat senate seat would do the work of establishing his dominance.
