Illinois candidate for Durbin Senate seat consolidates support with Duckworth endorsement

Illinois Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton picked up an endorsement from Sen. Tammy Duckworth in the primary to succeed the retiring Sen. Dick Durbin. 

Stratton launched her campaign last week after Durbin, an 80-year-old who was first elected to the Senate in 1996, announced he would not seek re-election in 2026. She was endorsed last week by Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker.

"Juliana has not only proven to be an experienced and effective Lieutenant Governor -- she’s demonstrated time and again that she truly understands and cares for working people," Duckworth, who represented Illinois, told Politico.

"I’d be honored to have her by my side in the Senate as we work to deliver real results for Illinoisans, and I’m proud to endorse her campaign," she added. 

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In her campaign launch video, Stratton said, "Donald Trump and Elon Musk are trying to distract us to create such a mess that we don’t even know where to start. But in Washington, they're still doing the same old things they've always done, and that old playbook isn't working." 

Stratton described herself as the daughter of a teacher and Navy veteran from the South Side of Chicago, and a mother of four. 

She told Politico that she was "honored" by Duckworth's endorsement and that "Tammy is a true leader for Illinois who doesn’t back down from a challenge." 

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The outlet also reported that Stratton had previously appeared alongside Duckworth to support the Asian American community during Asian American and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander Heritage Month.

Last Wednesday, Durbin said, "The decision of whether to run for re-election has not been easy." 

"I truly love the job of being a United States Senator. But in my heart, I know it’s time to pass the torch. So, I am announcing today that I will not be seeking re-election at the end of my term," he added. 

Durbin becomes the fourth Democrat in the Senate whose term is up at the end of next year who decided against seeking re-election in the 2026 midterms, joining Sens. Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire, Gary Peters of Michigan, and Tina Smith of Minnesota. 

Fox News' Michael Dorgan and Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report.