Nationwide — Juliana Stratton has won the Illinois U.S. Senate race, defeating Republican Don Tracy in the November 3, 2026, election. Her victory makes her the second Black woman to represent Illinois in the Senate and marks the first time three Black women will serve in the chamber at the same time.
The current Illinois lieutenant governor will take over the seat held by Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin, who is retiring after serving five terms. She will join the Senate in January 2027, bringing her experience in state government to the federal level. The Associated Press called the race after polls closed, confirming her victory over the former Illinois Republican Party chairman.
Her election also marks an important moment for Black women’s representation in the U.S. Senate. According to PBS, she will join Democratic Sens. Lisa Blunt Rochester of Delaware and Angela Alsobrooks of Maryland. Both women entered the Senate in 2025 and were not up for reelection in 2026. Their simultaneous service, alongside Stratton’s arrival, will set a new record for Black women in the chamber.
Before running for the Senate, Stratton built her political career in Illinois. Voters first elected her to the Illinois House of Representatives in 2016. She became lieutenant governor in 2018 after joining Gov. JB Pritzker’s ticket. The two won reelection in 2022, giving her eight years of experience working in the state’s executive branch. During her time as lieutenant governor, she supported programs addressing racial disparities in maternal health, criminal justice and economic opportunities.
Her Senate campaign focused on health care, immigration and other national issues. She supports Medicare for All and has spoken against President Donald Trump’s decision to deploy National Guard troops and federal immigration agents to Chicago. Pritzker also endorsed her during the competitive Democratic primary, where she faced U.S. Reps. Raja Krishnamoorthi and Robin Kelly.
With this victory, Stratton will become the sixth Black woman to serve in the U.S. Senate. The list includes former Vice President Kamala Harris, former Sen. Laphonza Butler and Carol Moseley Braun, who became the first Black woman elected to the Senate in 1992. Stratton’s arrival will add another name to that history and bring the number of Black women serving in the chamber simultaneously to three for the first time.