Illinois primary: US Senate race set between Juliana Stratton, Don Tracy

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Now that the Illinois primary is over, the U.S. Senate candidates will focus on November's general election.

Democratic U.S. Senate nominee Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton came to greet voters after the morning rush at Union Station.

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"I'm going to do my part to continue to unify our party and make sure that we are really tapped into what voters are looking for right now," Stratton said.

Stratton won Tuesday's primary as the party's representative for the November general election against Republican nominee, former Illinois Republican Party Chair Don Tracy.

The race may serve as a test for Stratton's progressive platform, which calls for abolishing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Medicare for all and taking the fight to President Donald Trump.

FULL ELECTION RESULTS FOR ILLINOIS PRIMARY

Before greeting voters, Stratton promised to assert her independence from Gov. JB Pritzker, whose endorsement and some much-needed cash for her campaign helped her defeat main primary opponents Congresswoman Robin Kelly and Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi, who reportedly spent over $23 million on his bid for the nomination.

"What I've heard from people is that they want higher wages," Stratton said. "They want to take care of their families. They want access to health care. They want to make sure those who get elected to Washington, D.C. are focused on the people."

The retirement of longtime U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin sparked the competitive campaign to fill the seat.

Cryptocurrency and artificial intelligence industries' Super Political Action Committees poured millions of dollars into hotly contested primaries.

On the GOP side, Tracy, who lead the Illinois Republican Party from 2021 to 2024, said he's looking to represent the voice of Illinoisans not being heard right now.

"If I were able to win this seat, and that surely is the plan, it would give us a seat at the table, a base to make Illinois more of a two-party state and give Republicans more hope in Illinois," Tracy said.

Tracy faces the tough task of beating Stratton in a knee-deep blue state, especially when she has the political power and financial backing of Pritzker.

Stratton's Republican rival in the general election attended a GOP unity breakfast in west suburban Naperville Tuesday.

"I can't self-fund completely. I'm going to need lots and lots of help. It's a big state; it's going to be a multimillion dollar contest," Tracy said.

It's a contest Tracy hopes will not be below the belt.

"I'm just hoping our contest with Lt. Gov. Stratton is not just about 'F bomb' commercials. I thought, 'I hope it's at a higher-level than that,'" he said.

Tracy is referring to an anti- President Donald Trump ad Stratton aired leading up to the election. It was a message that she says resonated with voters.

"They want somebody who's going to come in with bold ideas, stand up for the people that they represent and not just, you know, kind of feel like it's business as usual. And I believe that's the sentiment that was captured through that ad," Stratton said.

Coming out strong against the president while Krishnamoorthi's poll numbers leveled off during the weeks leading up to the election helped Stratton win. She plans to use the same strategy against Tracy.

"Donald Trump is not a normal president; so why are we still operating with business as usual?" Stratton said. "He has an authoritarian agenda. He's a wannabe dictator, and we need to be ready to stand up."

While he tiptoed around questions about Trump, Tracy says his campaign will concentrate on issue differences.

"I'm for a culture of economic freedom, where we celebrate work and work ethic, and Julianna Stratton and other Democrats seem to be in favor of a culture of welfare dependency," Tracy said.

Stratton could make history by becoming one of three Black women to serve in the United States Senate at the same time.

Illinois was the first state to elect a Black woman to the U.S. Senate - Carol Mosely Braun.