Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton went on the offensive against U.S. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.) and U.S. Rep. Robin Kelly (D-Ill.) Monday night, criticizing the two members of Congress for taking corporate PAC money and not being harsh enough on federal immigration enforcement agencies. 

Stratton, Krishnamoorthi and Kelly are the three leading Democratic candidates, according to polling, in the race to replace Sen. Dick Durbin, who announced in April that he would be retiring from the Senate after nearly 30 years in office. Other candidates for the Democratic primary include Steve Botsford Jr., Sean Brown, Jonathan Dean, Bryan Maxwell, Christopher Swann and Kevin Ryan.  

The debate, hosted by the Chicago Sun-Times, WBEZ and the University of Chicago Institute of Politics, is the first for the open primary. Krishnamoorthi has led in polling thus far and entered the race with a cash advantage over his two opponents, cash he’s used to run television ads across the state. Stratton has come in second place in most polling, with Kelly close behind.  

Immigration 

The candidates all criticized the actions taken by federal immigration enforcement agencies and the Trump administration in Chicago and Minneapolis.   

Stratton again called for abolishing the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency (ICE) and criticized Krishnamoorthi for voting yes on a resolution thanking the agency in June. The resolution also condemned antisemitism.  

Krishnamoorthi defended his record, saying he had visited ICE facilities in Illinois to inspect conditions.  

“What I learned there was shocking, that they not only target people with convictions; they go after people who are merely charged and who are collaterally present,” he said. “That means innocent civilians.” 

He also said that in light of the killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis, that he believes Congress should “abolish Trump's ICE.”  

Kelly said the entire immigration system should be rebuilt, including ICE. She also spoke to her record, particularly articles of impeachment she filed against Department of Homeland Security Sec. Kristi Noem.  

Money in politics 

Asked if they would support a wealth tax, Kelly said she believes that corporations and the wealthiest citizens have not been paying their fair share. She said she’s not saying they should pay more or less but that there are “loopholes” that should be repealed.  

“I've actually spoken to some of the corporations, and what they tell me is we're following the law, and that's the law, so we have to change some of those laws, so those loopholes will go away,” Kelly said.  

Stratton said she supports raising taxes on people making more than $1 million and corporations in order to give tax cuts to the middle class. She noted that she was the only candidate who was not taking corporate PAC money.  

“It's hard to push forward policy that will really benefit the people and not corporations when you've accepted millions of dollars from corporations,” Stratton said. “I want to give the people what they want, because I'm always going to center the voices of the American people, the voices of Illinoisans.”  

Stratton further said she would push for a repeal of Citizens United, the landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision that allows corporations and unions to make independent contributions. The two members of Congress defended their donor records and said they also support a repeal of Citizens United.  

Krishnamoorthi received criticism in December after campaign finance records revealed he had received donations from Trump advisor and Palantir Chief Technology Officer Shyam Sankar, as reported by the Sun-Times.  Krishnamoorthi said that money was donated to an immigrants' rights group. 

Stratton was also criticized by her two opponents for an ad released earlier this month that was paid for by the Illinois Future PAC. The ad had to be updated after Krishnamoorthi’s campaign noted it failed to adhere to certain campaign disclosure laws.  

Energy 

The candidates all largely agreed that artificial intelligence (AI) could be a useful tool for workers across the country, but that there needs to be guardrails on its use. Data centers, which are critical to the development and operation of AI, have also become a point of contention as they are linked as a direct cause of rising electric rates.  

The candidates agreed that data centers are a good source for job creation. Kelly suggested the creation of a voucher or tax credit for people impacted by rising costs caused by data centers, so that they may recoup some of those costs.  

Stratton said there needs to be more generation added to the grid to meet the rising demand, pointing towards a state law recently signed by Gov. JB Pritzker to repeal the state’s nuclear moratorium.   

Krishnamoorthi criticized the Trump administration’s repeal of federal tax credit for solar and wind included in the Inflation Reduction Act, saying those programs also increase generation.   

Support for Mayor Brandon Johnson and Sen. Chuck Schumer 

There was a notable pause after the candidates were asked if they approved of Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson’s job performance and if they’d back him if he seeks a second term.   

Krishnamoorthi said he’d like the mayor to unite various interest groups and create more economic development in the city. He said he sees “tremendous potential” in Johnson and said the mayor could oversee a “renaissance” in Chicago.  

Stratton praised Johnson’s collaboration with the state when President Donald Trump attempted to federalize National Guard troops. That decision was temporarily paused by a federal judge, with the U.S. Supreme Court upholding that temporary injunction. She said she could not comment on if she’d support him in a reelection bid, as he has not yet announced.  

Kelly also said she was impressed by Johnson's leadership when the city hosted the Democratic National Convention in 2024, as well as when he and a panel of mayors were called to testify on sanctuary policies before the U.S. House Oversight Committee. She also said she was undecided on an endorsement.  

The Chicago mayoral election will be held Feb. 23, 2027.  

Finally, candidates were asked if they would support U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) continuing to lead the Senate Democratic Caucus. Kelly and Krishnamoorthi said they were undecided; Stratton said she would not.  

The primary election will be held March 17, with early voting opening in some parts of the state Feb. 5.