5 things to watch in Tuesday's Illinois primaries

AIPAC Is Staying Out of Illinois Senate Race — But Its Donors Back Juliana Stratton

AIPAC is spending big in Tuesday’s Illinois House primaries. In the Senate race, its donors quietly lined up behind the lieutenant governor. The post AIPAC Is Staying Out of Illinois Senate Race — But Its Donors Back Juliana Stratton appeared first on The Intercept .

Illinois heads to elect next senator and five congressional district candidates

<p>Midwestern state has a slate of competitive races with money flowing in from donors including Aipac</p><ul><li><p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/news/2026/feb/17/sign-up-for-the-breaking-news-us-email-to-get-newsletter-alerts-direct-to-your-inbox?utm_medium=ACQUISITIONS_STANDFIRST&amp;utm_campaign=BN22326&amp;utm_content=signup&amp;utm_term=standfirst&amp;utm_source=GUARDIAN_WEB">Sign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inbox</a></p></li></ul><p>Illinois voters on Tuesday will decide between a crowded field of Democratic candidates vying to be the state’s next senator as the midwestern state also nominates candidates for five open congressional seats.</p><p>Longtime Illinois senator Dick Durbin’s retirement leaves a competitive race that includes two US representatives and the lieutenant governor vying to replace him, with massive infusions of money coming to the candidates from outside groups, including donors affiliated with the American Isr...

Illinois' $50 million primary experiment

<div>Data: AdImpact; Chart: Axios Visuals</div><p>Democrats will learn whether money talks in 2026 in the Illinois Senate primary Tuesday in a race that will almost certainly determine who replaces Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.).</p><p><strong>Why it matters:</strong> Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi is hoping the better-funded candidate emerges victorious in Illinois, just like in Texas this month, when state Rep.<a href="https://www.axios.com/local/austin/2026/03/04/talarico-crockett-democratic-primary-senate-texas" target="_blank"> James Talarico</a> beat Rep. Jasmine Crockett, 52%–46%.</p><hr><ul><li>Krishnamoorthi has vastly outraised — and outspent — his two primary opponents: Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton and Rep. Robin Kelly.</li></ul><p><strong>The intrigue:</strong> Two outsized presences have added a layer of intrigue to the race. Fairshake, a crypto PAC, has spent $7.7 million on TV ads, according to AdImpact. The group, which played big in 2024, is sitting on <a href="https://www.axios....

A historic Senate opening meets a divided Illinois Democratic Party - Politico

Will Illinois’ Democratic Primary for Senate Divide Black Voters?

Two Black female candidates may split Democratic primary voters, and anger is growing at well-funded efforts to widen the divide.

Former embattled Democratic mayor in Illinois running as GOP candidate in Georgia

An embattled former Democratic mayor is running for an open county commission seat in Georgia as a Republican. Tiffany Henyard, the former mayor of Dolton, Ill., is running as the lone Republican in the Fulton County Commission race to represent southern portions of the county in District 5. She has four Democratic opponents. Henyard was the…