High-Stakes Showdown: Krishnamoorthi, Stratton, and Kelly Vie for Support in Illinois’ 2026 Senate Race

CHICAGO (WLS) — As voters head to the polls on Tuesday, one of the most pivotal decisions they face is choosing their next U.S. Senator.

The race is neck and neck, with the top three contenders making a final push to secure votes.

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Raja Krishnamoorthi, Juliana Stratton, and Robin Kelly each expressed confidence and excitement on Tuesday as they campaigned for the last time.

The candidates embarked on a series of traditional Election Day events, including visits to local landmarks like Manny’s Deli, where they engaged with voters through lunchtime handshakes and conversations.

“This moment holds significant meaning,” remarked Stratton as she connected with the community.

Lt. Gov. Stratton chatted with supporters gathered on St. Patrick’s Day and Election Day, with the end of a long and challenging campaign now finally in-sight.

Stratton brushed off concerns that she and Kelly could split support among Black voters, helping Krishnamoorthi.

“Look, I’m working every single day. From what I’ve seen in the last three weeks are three great polls that show that we are leading and that we have the momentum,” Stratton said.

Those were polls done for Stratton’s campaign.

But a new independent poll shows Krishnamoorthi with a two-point lead over Stratton, which is within the margin of error. Kelly trails in third place.

She dismissed the notion of her potentially being a spoiler in this race.

“Well, I think it’s BS. And also, if I wasn’t in the race, it doesn’t mean people would go to Juliana, that there’s no guarantee about that. And people need to get over the fact that two Black women are running. That is going to happen more and more. It happened in this city: Lori Lightfoot, Toni Preckwinkle,” Kelly said.

Krishnamoorthi, once the clear frontrunner in this campaign, spent $18 million more this election cycle than Stratton and Kelly combined.

Now he finds himself neck-and-neck with Stratton on Election Day.

“I feel good about it. I think it was always going to be a close race. Now we just got to get everyone to vote. And so that’s what I’m doing today,” Krishnamoorthi said.

He also downplayed the notion that voter support can be easily categorized by who’s on the ballot.

“I’m seeking the vote of every single person in Illinois, regardless of who they are. And I don’t think any community should be treated monolithically for political purposes,” Krishnamoorthi said.

Kelly says regardless of the outcome she ran the best campaign she could.

“It’s no secret. You know, money has played a role in this race, and that’s how we need campaign financing reform. You’ve heard me say, good people don’t win. Good people don’t run; good people don’t stay in. I’m just hoping that voters look past who has the most money because they definitely haven’t done the most,” Kelly said.

Gov. JB Pritzker made no apologies for his unabashed support for Stratton.

“There’s nothing heavy-handed about being in support of the person that you think is the best person for the job,” Pritzker said.

But after all the endorsements, all the money and all the campaign stops, it all comes down to which candidates made the best impression with voters and did the best job of getting them to the polls.