Democrat Juliana Stratton won the Illinois U.S. Senate race on Tuesday, Nov. 3, defeating Republican Don Tracy, The Associated Press reported.

AP declared Stratton the winner at 7 p.m. CT, according to an AP wire report carried by KWQC. The Chicago Tribune reported the call came less than a minute after polls closed. Wheaton and DuPage County voters saw the race at the top of their ballots alongside contests for state legislature and county board.

Stratton, the state's lieutenant governor, will succeed Sen. Dick Durbin, a Democrat retiring after five terms, according to the AP report. American Center Party candidate Whitfield Harrington Jr. also appeared on the ballot, according to ABC 7 Chicago.

As of 8:10 p.m., with 19% of the estimated vote counted, Stratton had 66.9% and Tracy had 31.8%, the Chicago Tribune reported. Under Illinois law, eligible ballots can continue to be received and counted for up to 14 days after Election Day, according to NBC Chicago. Results remain unofficial until certified by county clerks, including the DuPage County Clerk.

What it means locally

The League of Women Voters of Wheaton hosted a candidate forum Sept. 25 at the Roy Morrill Community Center covering contested races for Illinois Senate District 24 and House District 47. Those down-ballot contests shared the Nov. 3 ballot with the Stratton-Tracy matchup.

The Senate outcome carries national weight. Republicans hold a 53-47 majority, and both parties battled for control of the chamber in the midterms, Axios reported. For the first time in 30 years, Illinois will not have a senator named Durbin, Axios reported.

Durbin announced in 2025 that he would not seek another term, according to the Herald-Whig. He first won the seat in 1996.

The candidates

Stratton served as Gov. JB Pritzker's lieutenant governor since 2019 and was a state representative before that, according to Axios. She won the Democratic primary with about 507,689 votes, roughly 40% of the party total, according to Illinois State Board of Elections primary results. She will be the second Black woman to serve Illinois in the Senate, according to the AP report.

Tracy, a Springfield attorney and businessman, chaired the state GOP from 2021 to 2024 and previously led the Illinois Gaming Board, Axios reported. He took the Republican primary with about 215,523 votes, roughly 40% of the GOP total, per state board records. Tracy ran a relatively quiet general election campaign and did not hold an election night party, the Chicago Tribune reported.

Where they split

Affordability topped both candidates' agendas, but they disagreed on causes and fixes, NBC Chicago reported. Stratton called for raising the federal minimum wage to $25 an hour, according to ABC 7. Tracy pointed to state costs and lingering inflation from the Biden administration, NBC Chicago reported.

They also split on immigration. Stratton supports abolishing ICE, while Tracy favors stronger border enforcement, according to Axios. They disagreed on Supreme Court reform, federal abortion protections and gun restrictions.

Shaw Local reported that in a statement after the race was called, Stratton said she was ready to get to work.

Official results will be posted at the Illinois State Board of Elections website once counting and certification are complete.