March 21, 2026
If she wins, she will join Senators Angela Alsobrooks and Lisa Blunt Rochester, marking the first time three Black women serve in the Senate simultaneously.
Following her decisive primary win, Illinois Lieutenant Governor Juliana Stratton has transitioned her campaign toward the general election, framing her victory as a rejection of the status quo in politics.
The significance of Stratton’s candidacy extends far beyond the borders of Illinois. If successful in November, she will solidify a historic “sisterhood” in the upper chamber, CNN reported. Alongside Senators Angela Alsobrooks and Lisa Blunt Rochester, Stratton would represent a tripling of the number of Black women serving at once
Stratton spoke to reporters about the significance of three Black women Senators.
“The idea of three means there’s that much more of an opportunity to make sure that when policy is being made, when legislation is being passed, that the voices of our community is right there at the table,” Stratton said. “We don’t want policy to just be made for us. We want it to be made by us and with us, and that’s going to help that to happen.”
During Stratton’s victory speech, she gave a personal tribute to the progress of the civil rights movement. She invoked the memory of her late father, a civil rights activist who marched from Selma to Montgomery and was once barred from the very Capitol building his daughter now seeks to enter as a lawmaker.
“His story is a reminder that this fight is bigger than you or me,” Stratton told a crowd of cheering supporters. “We are ready to take our democracy back into our own hands.”
As she moves toward November, Stratton starts as the heavy favorite in the safely Democratic state. However, she faces a challenge from Republican Don Tracy, who is centering his campaign on the economic struggle in Illinois. Stratton’s path reflects a new era for the Senate, where the lived experiences of Black women are finally moving from the margins to the center of legislative power.
Stratton overcame a massive fundraising disadvantage against Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi. Her campaign successfully tapped into a shift within the Illinois Democratic party, as she has leaned into progressive platforms such as Medicare for All, a $25 per hour federal minimum wage, and the abolition of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). If the people of Illinois agree, she may soon join the sisterhood.
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