EMILY's List, the political group supporting female Democratic candidates who favor abortion rights, endorsed Illinois Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton for the Senate on Friday, picking sides in the state's crowded Democratic primary.
It's the group's first endorsement in a Senate campaign in the 2026 midterm elections, and it's a significant boost in support for Stratton — who isn't the only woman running in the open Democratic primary.
Stratton is running against a field that includes Rep. Robin Kelly — a former state Democratic Party chair whom EMILY's List has endorsed in the past, when she ran for her seat in the House — and Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, who has built up significant cash in his campaign account and has already spent more than $7 million on advertising in the race, according to AdImpact.
Several other Illinois political heavyweights have also endorsed Stratton, including Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker and Democratic Sen. Tammy Duckworth. Pritzker pushed to replace Kelly as the chair of the Illinois Democratic Party in 2022, citing fundraising limitations she faced as a federal official.
Sen. Dick Durbin, a Democrat, announced in April that he wouldn’t seek re-election.
In a statement, EMILY’s List President Jessica Mackler called Stratton a “bold leader who throughout her time in public service has taken on tough fights and worked to make life easier for Illinoisans.”
“Juliana will be a fierce advocate for the people of Illinois, standing up to Donald Trump and working to level the playing field for Illinois families,” she said.
Duckworth told NBC News in a statement that Stratton is "the type of partner I need in D.C. to push back against the Trump administration" and "exactly the kind of candidate EMILY’s list should be rallying behind."
If either Kelly or Stratton is elected next year, she would contribute to a record for the most Black women serving in the Senate at once, joining Democrats Angela Alsobrooks of Maryland and Lisa Blunt Rochester of Delaware.
A senior Black Democratic strategist who is backing Stratton highlighted that point, telling NBC News that Stratton would make a "fine representative" to follow "in the footsteps of Sen. Durbin."
"If you look at the complexion of the Senate right now, certainly adding another female, another voice, certainly adding another woman of color can only help them expand how they think about what they do in Congress," the strategist said. "I have noticed that the two women that are currently sitting as senators add so much depth about not just women's issues, but about things that the American people care about."
Asked about EMILY's List's decision to endorse Stratton over Kelly, the strategist said Kelly "has been a fine, fine, fine representative for her district" but added, "I'm sure that they believe that [Stratton] has the best chance statewide to win."
This isn't the first time EMILY's List has endorsed a woman who is running against another Democratic woman, but it's a notable intervention in this race.
A source familiar with the endorsement process told NBC News that Krishnamoorthi is ramping up his spending and activity and the group doesn't want to "miss a chance to send a pro-choice, Democratic woman to the Senate."
Another group backing Stratton, the Democratic Lieutenant Governors Association, recently released polling on the race showing Krishnamoorthi leading the primary. But the group argued in a memo that Stratton could benefit from more paid advertising behind her campaign.
The Senate seat is considered safely Democratic, and the race isn't expected to be competitive after the primary in March.
