King of Illinois: Pritzker swings Senate race as he targets Trump

Gov. JB Pritzker engineered Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton's victory in Tuesday's Illinois Democratic Senate primary by pouring millions into a super PAC and leveraging his institutional authority, cementing his status as the party's kingmaker ahead of his own uncontested gubernatorial race. Stratton defeated Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, who had a $30 million war chest, and Rep. Robin Kelly, who finished third in a fractious race defined by racial dynamics and Pritzker's overwhelming financial advantage—with Kelly noting 73 percent of Stratton's donations came from the billionaire governor's family. The primary exposed deep party tensions, with Congressional Black Caucus members including Rep. Yvette Clarke of New York and Sen. Cory Booker rebuking Pritzker's intervention as an unfair exercise of wealth and gubernatorial power. Pritzker also backed Brad Schneider, who won the Democratic nomination for Illinois' 10th Congressional District, further demonstrating his sway. The governor has positioned himself as a chief antagonist to President Trump on the national stage, attacking his immigration enforcement and tariffs, setting up Pritzker's bid for a third gubernatorial term in November and laying groundwork for a potential 2028 presidential run.