Leftwing Democrat Heading To Senate After Saying ‘Abolish ICE’

Illinois Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton secured the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate on Tuesday, defeating two sitting members of Congress in a closely watched primary that underscored the party’s continued shift toward its progressive flank.

With more than 90% of the vote counted, Stratton captured roughly 40% of the vote, ahead of U.S. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi at approximately 33% and U.S. Rep. Robin Kelly at about 18%, according to projections.

Stratton, who has served as lieutenant governor since 2019, will now face Republican nominee Don Tracy, former chairman of the Illinois Republican Party, in the November general election. Illinois remains a reliably Democratic state in federal contests.

Her victory comes with the backing of Gov. J.B. Pritzker, whose financial support and political operation helped propel Stratton past better-funded opponents in the final stretch. The governor’s involvement—both through direct endorsements and aligned spending—proved decisive in consolidating support behind a candidate closely aligned with his political vision.

Stratton ran as an unapologetic leftwing activist, staking out positions well to the left of the national party’s traditional center on key issues, particularly immigration and revealing that the Democrats as we used to know them are no more. Throughout the campaign, she repeatedly called for abolishing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), describing the agency as “out of control and beyond reform” and asserting that “it doesn’t matter whose ICE it is.” She has also argued that ICE exists to “terrorize communities” and carry out authoritarian policies.

The Democrat nominee for Senate in Illinois wants to abolish ICE and amnesty for illegals.

You thought Durbin was bad? Just wait. https://t.co/hhWEyQilTn pic.twitter.com/esyhD5hP3o

— Western Lensman (@WesternLensman) March 18, 2026

Those positions, once considered fringe within Democratic circles, have increasingly moved into the party’s mainstream—particularly in deep-blue states like Illinois. Stratton’s victory, aided by Pritzker’s backing, offered a clear signal of where influential party leadership is willing to go.

Critics seized on that shift. Conservative commentator Western Lensman circulated video clips of Stratton’s past remarks on social media, highlighting her support for abolishing ICE and for expanded pathways to legal status for undocumented immigrants. The commentary framed her nomination as a departure from the more measured approach of retiring Sen. Dick Durbin, whom Stratton aims to replace.

Stratton directs illegals to resources on how to avoid to avoid immigration enforcement.pic.twitter.com/7BfecPg0zV

— Western Lensman (@WesternLensman) March 18, 2026

The primary itself became a proxy battle over the party’s direction. Krishnamoorthi and Kelly both ran campaigns that, while supportive of immigration reform, stopped short of endorsing the elimination of federal enforcement agencies. Stratton, by contrast, leaned into a message that rejected incrementalism altogether.

National Democrats had quietly watched the contest as a barometer for how far primary voters—especially in safe Democratic states—are willing to push the party on immigration and enforcement policy. The result suggests that candidates embracing more aggressive, structural changes to the system can not only compete, but win.

With the nomination secured, Stratton now turns to a general election campaign where the dynamics will shift from intra-party debate to a broader ideological contrast. But in a state where Democrats hold a consistent electoral advantage, Tuesday’s result may prove more significant as a signal to the party itself than as a competitive turning point in November.

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