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Democratic voters itching for a new direction in the 2026 primary season took advantage of a rare opportunity to significantly realign the national party by endorsing a new generation of faces in the March 17 Illinois primary.
The biggest issue in the election was choosing a successor to the retiring longtime incumbent Dick Durbin, the poster child for liberals in the U.S. Senate since he was first elected in 1996.
As Democrats continue to block Homeland Security funding, candidates for the Senate seat are primarily fighting over President Donald Trump’s aggressive deportation campaign, which saw immigration enforcement agents and National Guard troops flood Chicago as part of last year’s “Operation Midway Blitz.”
But at least four other races for seats in solidly blue states have funneled millions of dollars from outside groups seeking to influence the outcome and direction of the wave of progress sweeping through multiple states.
Here are the key takeaways from Tuesday’s results:
Stratton wins overwhelming victory in Senate primary
For much of the campaign, Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton trailed Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthy, who has a huge campaign fund, according to polls.
That was until late February, and the 60-year-old South Side Chicago native was emerging in more ways than one.
She called for the abolition of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement during a debate and released a profanity-laced campaign ad in which voters taunted Trump, highlighting progressive voters’ anger over the Trump administration’s 2025 “Operation Midway Blitz.”
But Stratton also said he would not support Sen. Chuck Schumer, considered a litmus test for progressive Senate candidates across the country, for Democratic leadership. She has benefited greatly from being Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s biggest ally, and he funneled about $5 million to groups supporting her campaign.
Stratton led for most of the night by a wide margin in Cook County, which includes Chicago, but also did well in other parts of the Prairie State, including counties that are home to major universities.
“The message tonight is clear: We are ready to take our democracy back into our own hands,” Stratton told supporters in his victory speech in Chicago. “Courage inspired me to run. Courage fueled this campaign. Courage will bring this fight squarely to Donald Trump.”
Illinois’ Senate race is rated by forecasters as a solidly blue state, meaning Stratton is likely to win the general election and could become the sixth Black woman to serve in the Senate. That would make her the third Black woman to serve in the Senate, joining Angela Allsbrooks of Maryland and Lisa Blunt Rochester of Delaware, and the most to serve in the Senate at the same time.
Pritzker mocks President Trump by showing Illinois advantage
Pritzker is one of the rumored 2028 presidential candidates, so the March 17 campaign was more of a test of his political skills than anything else. He reportedly donated more than $5 million to the Illinois Future PAC to support Stratton’s campaign.
“I’m proud to have run with her in the past two elections, proud to have worked with her for the past seven years, and proud to support her campaign for the U.S. Senate,” Pritzker said. “She is an outstanding, kind and honest person who truly loves this state and is grateful for all that we have accomplished.”
Mr. Pritzker also participated in the vote and ran unopposed, then began seeking the Democratic Party’s nomination for a third term. He will face Republican Darren Bailey in a rematch from the 2022 election. Illinois’ governor touted plans to “Fight for Our Future,” including adopting a “21st Century Housing Plan” and vowing to lower electricity rates across Illinois.
He also criticized President Trump in his March 17 victory speech, calling him the Republican Party’s “dear leader.” He also spoke out against last year’s immigration enforcement campaign in the state, dubbed Operation Midway Blitz, and called Trump a “carnival barker in chief” and a “thieving commander in chief.”
Trump also did not spare Illinois leaders. During the president’s usually good-natured turkey pardon before Thanksgiving, he called Pritzker a “big, fat slob” during the ceremony.
A new face of the Democratic Party emerges
It was a lucky day for three high-profile new and one returning members of Congress who won competitive primaries in Illinois on St. Patrick’s Day and are expected to join Congress this fall.
Donna Miller defeated Jesse Jackson Jr., the son of the late civil rights leader, thwarting his attempt at a political comeback and won his former seat covering Illinois’ 2nd Congressional District, and La’Shawn Ford will replace Danny Davis in the 7th Congressional District, both in downtown Chicago.
Former Congresswoman Melissa Bean is running to represent the 8th Congressional District, which covers the suburbs of Krishnamoorthi city, to reclaim her old seat in Congress after leaving Krishnamoorthi.
And Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss defeated Kat Abu-Ghazaleh, an affluent Gen Z opponent and influential figure among many opponents in Illinois’ 9th Congressional District.
The newcomers arrive as Americans call for generational change in politics.
Progressive vs. AIPAC
One of the features of the Illinois Congressional Primary was a focus on the role played by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) in these elections.
Groups associated with pro-Israel groups have spent about $21 million on these races, as progressives turn against their U.S. ally over the way the war is being waged in Gaza. For example, a Quinnipiac University poll released this month found that 62% of Democrats think the United States supports Israel too much.
Mr. Bean, who left Congress 10 years ago, was seen as a more moderate candidate in the 8th Congressional District race in suburban Chicago, defeating progressive Junaid Ahmed in a race largely based on their differing views on Israel.
AIPAC spent about $665,000 on ads against Ahmed, while other progressive groups involved in the race, including Justice Democrats PAC, spent about $56,000 on attack ads against Bean.
But in other contests, AIPAC’s preferred candidates did not win.
The Progressive Change Campaign Committee, an influential liberal group, noted that Bis’ victory came even though pro-Israel groups spent about $5 million on ads attacking Bis and Abu-Ghazaleh and backed state Sen. Laura Fine in that race.
“The real debate within the Democratic Party is not whether progressive economic policies appeal to voters,” PCCC co-founder Adam Green told USA TODAY in a statement. “It’s whether candidates who truly believe in these ideas can compete with an industry that is willing to spend millions of dollars to co-opt that message to support candidates who will never actually challenge power.”
Abu Ghazaleh’s defeat shows the limits of ‘influencer’ campaigns
In a parliamentary election that drew national attention, Bis’ victory over former journalist and activist Kat Abu Ghazaleh showed that the trust built with voters can outlast social media juggernauts.
Mr. Abu Ghazaleh boasts more than 650,000 followers on social media and led the industry in raising more than $3 million since his candidacy, according to campaign finance data. But critics of the 26-year-old influencer called her an outsider, having moved to the state just two years ago.
Mr. Biss, 48, served as a member of both chambers of the Illinois State House before becoming mayor of Evanston, home of Northwestern University.
Both had similar progressive platforms and confronted federal agents during “Operation Midway Blitz.” But like many other races in the state, criticism of support for Israel and AIPAC became a defining feature of the home state.
The infighting within the party’s left also demonstrated the dangers of a coalition that cannot unite around a single candidate. Abu Ghazaleh is expected to fall short of the nomination with fewer votes than fellow pro-Palestinian candidate Bushra Amiwala.
The latter blamed the delayed support it received from a super PAC that shares a vendor with AIPAC, according to the New York Times. Abu Ghazaleh supporters called on Amiwala to withdraw from the race in comments on his Instagram video rejecting the PAC’s support.
