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CHICAGO (WLS) — As the election season unfolds, candidates are eagerly unveiling endorsements to galvanize their campaigns.
Recently, the Senate race has witnessed the influence of prominent national figures stepping into the spotlight. In a surprising development, it has been revealed that the late Rev. Jesse Jackson had extended his endorsement prior to his passing.
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On Sunday afternoon, Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton made a campaign stop in Hyde Park, choosing a veteran-owned bakery as her venue. She was accompanied by Sen. Tammy Duckworth, who has already thrown her support behind Stratton’s bid for the U.S. Senate.
The unexpected revelation of Jackson’s endorsement of Stratton has sparked a flurry of discussions as the campaign nears its conclusion. Stratton shared that she received this information from Betty Magnus at Rainbow PUSH just a day earlier.
“She approached me and mentioned that Reverend Jackson had shared his endorsements with us before his death. Among approximately 100 names on the list, I was endorsed for United States Senate,” Stratton recounted.
At the South Side Irish Parade, Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi shook hands with folks along Western Avenue. He is more than curious about the timing of the Jackson endorsement.
“I don’t know if I’m going to be getting an endorsement from the grave. So, someone was saying they’re looking through the history books to decide who should endorse me. But look, I think at this point again, I think ultimately, the endorsement that I seek is from the voters,” Krishnamoorthi said.
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Congresswoman Robin Kelly held a “get out the vote” rally in Lakeview on Sunday afternoon. She was also caught by surprise about the endorsement list by Jackson and his son, Yusef, that included Stratton.
“You know, I’ve talked to a couple of his kids; they don’t know anything about it. So, I don’t know. It is what it is,” Kelly said.
But for the candidates, it is all about the final days of the campaign and reaching as many voters as possible with voter turnout up from previous primaries.
“Again, two-and-a-half days. I need everybody. I need everybody’s voice. I need you knocking, calling, whatever you can do if you can spare a little change. I need that, too,” Kelly said.
“It’s talking to people every single day, and I will be doing that until the polls close, to make sure they know how I want to give the people what they want,” Stratton said.
There is no margin of error in the race to fill an open U.S. Senate seat, which does not happen very often.
“I’ve always said that this race is always going to be close, and so I got to just run as hard as I possibly can at this point,” Krishnamoorthi said.
With all the money the candidates have spent in this race, along with all the outside millions from super PACs, what it could come down to is who is able to do the best job of getting their supporters to the polls between now and Tuesday.
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