Raja Krishnamoorthi, a moderate Democrat in the House of Representatives, lost the Illinois primaries for the Senate nomination. Juliana Stratton, the Illinois Lieutenant Governor, was projected as the winner with a 6% lead when 85% of votes were counted.
The Democratic primary winner will face a Republican in the November election in a state where Kamala Harris outperformed Trump by 11% in 2024. Krishnamoorthi, aiming to be the second Indian American Senator after Harris, faced defeat.
Krishnamoorthi, a House member since 2017, ran against Stratton, supported by Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker and Senator Tammy Duckworth. The primary also saw Robin Kelly finishing third in the race to succeed Senator Dick Durbin.
Pritzker’s strong support for Stratton and Krishnamoorthi’s backing by Fairshakes, a political action committee, were notable. Krishnamoorthi emphasized opposition to Trump’s policies, particularly on Iran and welfare programs.
