ROBIN KELLY PROGRESSING IN THE RACE FOR FOR U.S. SENATE

Robin Kelly
Robin Kelly

ROBIN KELLY PROGRESSING IN THE RACE FOR FOR U.S. SENATE

 

 

(Chicago, IL) This past April, Senator Dick Durbin announced he would not be running for another term in the upcoming 2026 election, retiring after serving Illinois for more than 40 years in Washington. Durbin’s announcement kicked off a spirited campaign that has drawn three main contenders: U.S. Representatives Robin Kelly and Raja Krishnamoorthi and Lt. Governor Juliana Stratton.

With fewer than five months to go until voters head to the polls on March 17th for the Democratic primary, the candidates are facing increased scrutiny on their outreach efforts in the Black community – and their paths to victory.

Recent polling from all sides has shown U.S. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi ahead by double digits, partially thanks to frequent television advertising where he asks voters to “just call me Raja.” While not his natural base, political observers have noted that Krishnamoorthi isn’t taking the Black community for granted – flexing muscle with a robust contingent in August’s Bud Billikin Parade, hosting regular meet and greets with Black faith leaders, and earning key endorsements from leaders in the community, including Ald. Pat Dowell, former Ald. Howard Brookins, and Ald. Stephanie Coleman, who serves as chair of the City Council’s Black Caucus.

At the start of the campaign, many assumed that Lt. Governor Juliana Stratton would be the obvious choice to serve the Black community – she launched her campaign with key political connections and a path to campaign contributions. But after six months in the race, Stratton has left many puzzled by what appears to be challenges to gain significant traction.

Recent fundraising reports show that it’s Congresswoman Kelly, not Lt. Governor Stratton, who has the financial edge in the final stretch of the campaign, reporting double the available cash over the Lt. Governor. Thus far Stratton’s fundraising efforts have not lived up to expectations.

Stratton’s team has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on campaign consultants. According to recent FEC filings, one consultant alone made over $65,000 over the span of three months.

Statton launched a “keeping it real” listening tour with the hopes of energizing the base. However, the Lt. Governor’s campaign faced what appeared to have been a setback when she failed to secure the endorsement of the Cook County Democratic Party.

At Monday’s candidate filing in Springfield Governor Pritzker, newly minted Lt. Governor candidate Christian Mitchell, Rep. Krishnamoorthi, several Congressional candidates, and others made the trip to turn in stacks of petitions, However the Lt. Governor did not appear choosing to send staff instead.

Meanwhile, Congresswoman Robin Kelly is campaigning extremely hard and deserves a fresh look, despite early pundits writing her off. On the campaign trail, her signature tagline is, “If you want a workhorse, not a show horse, then you want Robin Kelly.” She’s proving that in spades – for what she lacks in powerful backers, she makes up for in miles traveled and events attended.

And her record seems to back up her campaign rhetoric. As a Congresswoman since 2013, Kelly has secured more than $245 million for community projects across Illinois.

Congresswoman Kelly wrote legislation with then-state Senator Barack Obama to hold gun dealers accountable for illegal sales to straw purchasers. She has spent years on the issue of gun violence to make our communities safer for our children. And she passed a law that expanded health care to finally address maternal mortality.

Kelly’s colleagues in the U.S. Congress have taken note of her hard work and ability to deliver for the Black community. She’s been endorsed by the Congressional Black Caucus PAC – a surprising move in a race that features two prominent Black candidates.

Illinois is known for its U.S. Senators who show up, put their head down, and get the job done. Congresswoman Kelly is proving to be the extremely hard-working candidate that continues to fit that frame.




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