Could Illinois soon have its second Black woman senator? 

After winning a major Democratic state primary, Illinois Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton is on the verge of making Senate history.  

Stratton, a South Side Chicago native, topped a crowded, high‑dollar primary that included Reps. Raja Krishnamoorthi and Robin Kelly in a race that will soon replace retiring Sen. Dick Durbin, who’s held the seat since the 1990s. During Straton’s victory speech, the former state legislator made it clear that she was ready for a fight.

“Tonight’s message is clear: We’re ready to take our democracy back into our own hands,” Stratton said, as reported by 19th News. “I’ve seen the very best of Illinoisans who have taken to the streets, stood up for their neighbors and refused to back down. … Courage inspired me to run, courage powered this campaign and courage will bring this fight straight to Donald Trump’s door.”

With most votes counted, she led statewide and dominated in Cook County, where she ran up favorable margins in Chicago. If she wins in November, Stratton would become only the sixth Black woman ever to serve in the U.S. Senate.

The primary turned into a proxy fight over the Democratic Party’s future. Stratton ran as the most progressive option, backing policies like Medicare for All, a 25‑dollar minimum wage and abolishing ICE, while casting herself as a fighter willing to stand up to Trump and even buck Senate Democratic leadership.

“What I’ve heard from people very clearly is that they are fed up with what’s happening in Washington,” Stratton said recently to NBC News. “They are frustrated and angry that they see a president who stomps on the Constitution, who kind of takes action on a whim without thinking about what’s best for the American people. And they’re looking for a fighter in Washington, somebody who’s going to stand up and be a check on this president.”

​She has said she would not support Chuck Schumer staying on as party leader, arguing voters want someone “who’s going to fight, not fold.”

​While Krishnamoorthi leaned on his reputation as a prolific fundraiser and spent tens of millions on ads, Stratton’s platform was a win with voters, as well as her support from Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s political network and outside support from progressive allies like Sen. Elizabeth Warren. Fairshake, a group funded by cryptocurrency executives, also dropped nearly 10 million dollars on attack ads against Stratton.