EMILY’s List endorsed Illinois Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton (D) to succeed Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) in a heated Senate race as campaign efforts mature ahead of the March primary.
The PAC, the “largest backer of Democratic pro-choice women,” decided Friday to endorse Stratton in the field that also includes Rep. Robin Kelly (D-Ill.), a former state Democratic Party chair.
“Juliana Stratton is a bold leader who’s taken on tough fights and worked to make life easier for Illinoisans,” EMILY’s List said in a Friday statement on social platform X.
“We know she’ll be a fierce advocate and stand up to Republican recklessness in Washington,” it added.
A senior Black Democratic strategist told NBC News the PAC endorsed Stratton over Kelly due to her proven statewide reputation after serving in the Illinois House of Representatives and becoming the first Black woman to be elected as lieutenant governor.
A win by Stratton or Kelly would follow in the footsteps of former Sen. Carol Moseley Braun (D-Ill.), who was the first Black woman elected to the upper chamber. And with Sens. Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.) and Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.), three Black women would be concurrently serving in the Senate.
However, Stratton’s chances remain steep as fellow contender Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.) has already poured more than $7 million into advertising efforts, according to AdImpact.
A May poll from the Democratic Lieutenant Governors Association showed Krishnamoorthi besting Stratton by 17 percentage points. His lead slightly decreased in a September poll that found 33 percent of voters favored Krishnamoorthi compared with 18 percent who supported Stratton and 8 percent who backed Kelly.
The low polling numbers come despite Stratton’s endorsements from Durbin, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker (D) and Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.).
“Her many years spent in public service, along with her experience as a mom to four daughters and a caregiver to her own mother, have given her the tenacity, grit and perspective to be a true advocate on behalf of working families,” Duckworth said of Stratton in April.
The Illinois Senate seat vacated by Durbin, who will step down from the upper chamber after serving for more than two decades, is considered solid blue according to the Cook Political Report.