Democratic candidates in Illinois’s 2026 Senate primary are steering clear of hard takes on Minority Leader Chuck Schumer’s (D-NY) leadership in the upper chamber.
The candidates are looking to succeed Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL), 80, who announced in April 2025 that he will not seek reelection to a sixth term, ending more than four decades representing Illinois and relinquishing his role as the Senate’s No. 2 Democrat as whip.
His retirement has left open a powerful Senate seat and a leadership question within the Democratic caucus.
The crowded Democratic primary has converged around three front-runners: Illinois Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton, Rep. Robin Kelly (D-IL), and Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL), each of whom faced off in a debate Monday night in Chicago.
In their debate, immigration enforcement, campaign funding, and opposition to President Donald Trump’s policies dominated, but discussion of Senate leadership dynamics in Washington was conspicuously tight-lipped.
Krishnamoorthi and Kelly mummed on the question of Schumer’s leadership, but Stratton was a hard “no.”
“I’ve already said that I will not support Chuck Schumer as leader in the Senate, and I’m the only person on this stage that has said so,” Stratton said during the debate.
Krishnamoorthi said he would “hear his pitch,” while Kelly said it “depends on who’s running.”
The question of Schumer’s leadership has arisen outside Illinois, especially after contentious Senate episodes such as the recent government funding negotiations that left some Democrats frustrated with the party’s direction.
Progressive critics nationally have even called for new leadership in the Democratic Senate caucus, questioning Schumer’s strategic choices.
Stratton, the state’s second-in-command to Trump antagonist Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D-IL), was the first major contender to enter the race last spring and has centered her campaign on her executive experience and progressive priorities.
She has framed herself as a fighter against the Trump administration’s agenda and earned the early backing of Pritzker and Democratic heavyweights.
Kelly, who represents Illinois’s 2nd Congressional District, has focused on economic equity and social programs, including taxing billionaires, child care cost caps, and healthcare expansion.
Krishnamoorthi, from the 8th district, brings significant fundraising strengths and has pitched comprehensive plans to rein in the Trump administration and lower costs for Illinois families.
As they are all chomping at the bit for Durbin’s seat, Stratton has praised Durbin and spoken broadly about leadership transitions, and, alongside Kelly, has had little to say about age limits for members of Congress.
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Kelly and Krishnamoorthi have focused on policy contrasts with Republican opponents and intra-state issues rather than the internal Senate hierarchy.
With the March 17 primary on the horizon, the race for Durbin’s seat is shaping up as a cautious balancing act between local priorities in the sinkhole state and national party undercurrents.