U.S. Rep. Robin Kelly leads her final state Central Committee meeting as Democratic Party of Illinois chair in 2022. At the time, she was unseated by state Rep. Lisa Hernandez, Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s preferred candidate for party chair. With Kelly is then-party treasurer Michael Dorf. (Photos by Jerry Nowicki/Capitol News Illinois)

Two Illinois congressional reps — Robin Kelly and Raja Krisnamoorthi  — have entered the race to be the state’s next U.S. senator.

Kelly

U.S. Rep. Robin Kelly was the second Democrat to step into the 2026 primary race to succeed U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin.  

Kelly, a resident of south suburban Matteson, has represented Illinois’ 2nd Congressional District since 2013 and recently served a short stint as chair of the Democratic Party of Illinois.  

“This moment requires proven leaders who have the experience to take on the toughest battles,” Kelly said in a statement. “I’ve never backed down – not from gun lobbyists, not from MAGA extremists, and certainly not from a fight for what’s right.” 

Kelly won a crowded 16-person primary in a 2013 special election to fill the congressional seat vacated by former U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson, who resigned while under investigation for misuse of campaign funds and eventually went to prison. Kelly received more than half the primary vote before easily winning the special election.  

Kelly represents one of Illinois’ most geographically diverse congressional districts. The 2nd District stretches from the South Side of Chicago more than 100 miles south to Danville. 

Kelly also served two terms in the Illinois House and unsuccessfully ran for state treasurer in 2010.  

As a member of Congress, Kelly has focused much of her time on health care and gun violence issues. In a video launching her campaign, Kelly reflected on the time she refused to stand for a moment of silence in the U.S. House following a mass shooting.  

“And the next time, someone else sat down with me,” Kelly said. “And then another, until a moment of silence felt more like an echo of inaction.” 

Kelly joins Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton in the race. Stratton has already received endorsements from Gov. J.B. Pritzker and U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth. 

Her entrance into the race also sets up another battle with Pritzker.  

State Rep. Lisa Hernandez embraces Kelly in 2022 after unseating her as Democratic Party of Illinois chair.

With Durbin’s support, Kelly was elected chair of the state Democratic Party in 2021 to replace Mike Madigan after the long-time party head bowed out of politics amid a then-ongoing federal investigation. Kelly beat Chicago Ald. Michelle Harris for the party leadership job, but her success was short-lived. 

Kelly ended her bid for re-election as party chair in 2022 after it became clear she would not have enough support to beat state Rep. Lisa Hernandez, D-Cicero, for party leadership. Pritzker supported Hernandez while Kelly continued to have Durbin’s support.  

In the 2026 primary, however, Durbin told reporters last month he likely won’t endorse any candidate for his Senate seat in the primary. Durbin announced last month he will retire when his term ends in 2027 following 44 years in Congress.  

Kelly enters the primary with $2 million in her campaign account, according to federal election records.  

“You could say I’ve been an underdog my whole life,” Kelly said in the video.  

State Sen. Robert Peters, D-Chicago, posted on social media that he is considering next steps in his career and possibly running for Kelly’s congressional seat in 2026.  

Krishnamoorthi

U.S. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi is the latest Democrat to enter the 2026 U.S. Senate primary for retiring Sen. Dick Durbin’s seat.  

Krishnamoorthi, of Schaumburg, has represented the 8th Congressional District since 2017. He was born in India and grew up in Peoria. He earned a law degree from Harvard and has worked in the Illinois Attorney General’s Office and led a small tech company in the Chicago suburbs.  

Describing his middle-class upbringing, Krishnamoorthi said he’ll “never be quiet while billionaires like Elon Musk and a convicted felon deny the dreams of the next generation for their own egos.”  

U.S. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, a Schaumburg Democrat, speaks at the 2022 Illinois Democratic County Chairs Association annual brunch in Springfield.

“People want to know: At this moment, in this time, where is the power to fight back?” Krishnamoorthi said in a video launching his campaign. “What does it look like? Well, I’ll tell you. It looks like you … all of us ready to step up and fight back.” 

Krishnamoorthi represents parts of Kane, DuPage and Cook counties. As a candidate for Congress, Krishnamoorthi has often wooed voters with TV commercials showcasing casual mannerisms and his name, telling voters “just call me Raja.” It’s a theme he is continuing as he joins the Senate race. 

“I worked on a friend’s campaign that showed Illinois will give you a shot, even if you have a funny name,” Krishnamoorthi said, referring to his stint as an advisor to Barack Obama’s 2004 Senate campaign. “And inspired by Barack’s example, I was elected to Congress.”  

As a member of the House, Krishnamoorthi is the ranking member on the Select Committee on Strategic Competition between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party. He also serves on the House intelligence committee.  

Like other Democrats around the country, Krishnamoorthi recently visited areas of Illinois outside of his district that are represented by Republicans in Congress to highlight the impacts of the Trump administration’s policies.  

Krishnamoorthi is the third Democrat to enter the race and begins with a big cash advantage. Federal election records show he has $19.4 million in his campaign fund and has consistently raised more money than other members of Illinois’ congressional delegation. His campaign reported raising $3 million in the first quarter of 2024.  

Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton and U.S. Rep. Robin Kelly, a Matteson Democrat, have also joined the race. Records show Kelly has $2 million on hand while a political action committee launched by Stratton earlier this year has not reported any contributions yet.  

Krishnamoorthi’s war chest could be a leg up in the competition as U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth and Gov. J.B. Pritzker — two of the state’s top Democrats — endorsed Stratton before any other candidates joined the race.  

U.S. Rep. Lauren Underwood, a Naperville Democrat, is also exploring a run for the Senate, but Illinois Treasurer Mike Frerichs announced he will not join the fray.  

No major Republican candidates have entered the race so far.  

bszalinski@capitolnewsillinois.com 

Capitol News Illinois is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news service that distributes state government coverage to hundreds of news outlets statewide. It is funded primarily by the Illinois Press Foundation and the Robert R. McCormick Foundation.