2026 United States Senate election in Illinois

The **2026 United States Senate election in Illinois** will be held on November 3, 2026, to elect a member of the United States Senate to represent the State of Illinois. Current Democratic Senator Dick Durbin, who was re-elected in 2020 with 54.9% of the vote, decided not to run for a sixth term in office. This will be the first open Senate seat race in Illinois since 2010 and the first for this Class II seat since 1996, when Durbin was first elected. 

Primary elections were held on March 17, 2026. If elected, Juliana Stratton will become the second African American woman U.S. Senator elected from Illinois, after Carol Moseley Braun in 1999.

## Background
On April 23, 2025, incumbent Senator Dick Durbin, who has held the seat since 1997, announced he would not run for re-election. The next day, Lieutenant Governor Juliana Stratton announced her campaign with the support of Governor JB Pritzker.

Later, it was reported that U.S. Representatives Raja Krishnamoorthi, Robin Kelly, and Lauren Underwood were thinking about running. Kelly announced her candidacy on May 6, followed by Krishnamoorthi the next day, while Underwood announced that she would not run.

On March 17, 2026, Stratton was announced as the winner of the Democratic primary, beating U.S. Representatives Krishnamoorthi and Kelly.

## Democratic primary
### Candidates 
#### Nominee 
* Juliana Stratton, Lieutenant Governor of Illinois (2019–present)

#### Eliminated in primary
*Steve Botsford, former legislative staffer and candidate for Chicago City Council in 2023
*Sean Brown, attorney
*Awisi Bustos, CEO of the Illinois Alliance of Boys & Girls Clubs and daughter-in-law of former U.S. Representative Cheri Bustos
*Jonathan Dean, solar energy entrepreneur
*Robin Kelly, U.S. Representative from  (2013–present), former chair of the Illinois Democratic Party (2021–2022), and nominee for Illinois Treasurer in 2010
*Raja Krishnamoorthi, U.S. Representative from  (2017–present) and candidate for Illinois Comptroller in 2010
*Bryan Maxwell, engineer
*Kevin Ryan, former teacher
*Christopher Swann, program manager for Feeding America

#### Disqualified
*Adam Delgado, former ATF agent

#### Declined 
*Dick Durbin, incumbent U.S. Senator (1997–present)
*Mike Frerichs, Illinois State Treasurer (2015–present) *(running for re-election)*
*Alexi Giannoulias, Illinois Secretary of State (2023–present), former Illinois State Treasurer (2007–2011), and nominee for U.S. Senate in 2010 *(running for re-election)*
*JB Pritzker, Governor of Illinois (2019–present) *(running for re-election, endorsed Stratton)* *(running for re-election)*
*Lauren Underwood, U.S. Representative from  (2019–present) *(running for re-election)*
*Gilbert Villegas, Chicago alder from the 36th ward (2015–present) and candidate for  in 2022

## Republican primary 
### Candidates 
**Nominee**

* Don Tracy, former chair of the Illinois Republican Party (2021–2024), former member of the Illinois Gaming Board (2015–2019), and candidate for lieutenant governor in 2010

#### Eliminated in primary 
*R. Cary Capparelli, former member of the Illinois International Port District board (2000–2009) and perennial candidate
*Casey Chlebek, national director for the Polish American Congress PAC and candidate for U.S. Senate in 2020 and 2022
*Jeannie Evans, attorney
*Pamela Denise Long, occupational therapist
*Jimmy Lee Tillman, author

#### Disqualified 
*Casandra Claiborne

#### Withdrawn 
*John Goodman, former police officer

#### Declined 
*Mike Bost, U.S. Representative from  (2015–present) *(running for re-election, endorsed Tracy)*
*Rodney Davis, former U.S. representative from  (2013–2023)
*Darin LaHood, U.S. Representative from  (2015–present) *(running for re-election, endorsed Tracy)*

## Notes
## References
## Other websites
;Official campaign websites
*Juliana Stratton (D) for Senate
*Don Tracy (R) for Senate