Federal race · November 3, 2026
U.S. Senator
U.S. senators represent Illinois in the U.S. Senate, voting on federal legislation and budgets, confirming presidential nominees, and ratifying treaties.
6-year term. Open seat: no incumbent is running. Open seat: Sen. Dick Durbin (D), who has held the seat since 1997, is retiring at the end of his term. Three candidates are printed on the ballot. Party primaries were held March 17, 2026.
The candidates
Listed alphabetically by last name.
Whitfield Harrington Jr.
Pastor; former financial services professionalHarrington is a Chicago-area pastor who previously worked in banking and insurance and ran his own insurance practice. He is on the ballot under the American Center Party label, a new party he is helping to form, and describes himself as an independent. His campaign platform, "Renovate the American Dream," centers on the cost of living, domestic infrastructure and a centrist approach.
Juliana Stratton
Lieutenant Governor of IllinoisStratton has been Illinois's lieutenant governor since 2019 and previously served one term in the Illinois House. She won the March 2026 Democratic primary with about 40% of the vote. Her campaign centers on middle-class costs, Medicare for All, a higher federal minimum wage, and opposition to the Trump administration's policies.
Don Tracy
Attorney; former chairman of the Illinois Republican PartyTracy is a Springfield attorney who chaired the Illinois Republican Party from 2021 to 2024 and the Illinois Gaming Board before that, and is general outside counsel for his family's food distribution company. He won the March 2026 Republican primary with about 40% of the vote. His campaign centers on lowering the cost of living, cutting taxes and federal spending, and border security.
Compare on the issues
Summaries of each candidate's stated positions. See each profile for sources and details.
| Issue | Whitfield Harrington Jr. American Center Party | Juliana Stratton Democratic | Don Tracy Republican |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abortion | Describes himself as pro-life on his campaign website and says the law should protect unborn life in all circumstances. Also supports more help for women during pregnancy and better maternal health care. | Supports restoring the abortion protections that existed under Roe v. Wade. | Says abortion law should be left to the states and opposes a national abortion law. Supports the Hyde Amendment, which bars federal funding for most abortions. |
| Health Care | Proposes expanding Direct Primary Care by helping doctors open independent practices through loan forgiveness, grants and financing. | Supports Medicare for All. | Supports health care price transparency and more competition to reduce insurance and prescription drug costs. |
| Immigration | Supports border security with added manpower, technology and physical barriers, and deporting people convicted of crimes. Opposes family separations and says ICE should be restrained when its conduct is excessive. | Supports abolishing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). | Says he would enforce immigration laws and opposes taxpayer-funded benefits for people in the country illegally. |
| Economy & Jobs | No public position found yet | Supports raising the federal minimum wage to $25 per hour and grant programs for small business owners. | Says he would reduce regulations on small businesses, manufacturers and farmers and focus on bringing down inflation. |
| Education | Supports school choice, accountability for school boards, and fairer K–12 funding for communities with fewer resources. | Supports restoring the U.S. Department of Education and expanding federal support for trades and technical schools. | No public position found yet |
| Elections & Democracy | Supports voter ID and opposes universal mail-in voting. Supports consecutive term limits for members of Congress. | Supports passing the John Lewis Voting Rights Act. | No public position found yet |
| Energy & Environment | Supports expanding U.S. energy production and keeping the Strategic Petroleum Reserve full. | No public position found yet | Supports an "all-of-the-above" energy approach to lower costs, alongside what he calls a "responsible clean energy future." |
| Guns | Says he supports the Second Amendment and background checks on gun purchases. | Supports stronger gun laws. | No public position found yet |
| Public Safety | Supports sealing the records of people convicted of nonviolent offenses who complete their sentences. | No public position found yet | Says he supports law enforcement and holding violent criminals accountable. |
| Taxes | No public position found yet | Supports a middle-class tax cut paid for by a tax increase on people making more than $1 million a year. Opposes the Trump administration's tariffs. | Supports lowering taxes on Illinois families and cutting what he calls "wasteful government spending." |
| Foreign Policy | No public position found yet | No public position found yet | Supports the U.S. war with Iran, which he says is needed to keep Iran from developing a nuclear weapon. |
| Housing | Proposes legislation requiring banks to offer small-dollar mortgages on lower-priced homes, with incentives for lenders. | No public position found yet | No public position found yet |