Stratton Wins Illinois Senate Seat, Makes History
Democrat Juliana Stratton defeated Republican Don Tracy to succeed retiring Sen. Dick Durbin in Illinois.
Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in Elections
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Democrat Juliana Stratton defeated Republican Don Tracy in the race to succeed retiring Sen. Dick Durbin. Stratton will become the sixth Black woman to serve in the U.S. Senate and the second woman from Illinois to serve there.
Why it matters
Illinois becomes the first state with two women of color serving in the U.S. Senate at the same time, alongside Sen. Tammy Duckworth. Democrats also gained control of both the House and Senate in the midterm elections.
Stratton will be the sixth Black woman to serve in the U.S. Senate and the second Illinois woman to serve there. Democrats flipped Republican-held seats in Texas, Iowa, South Carolina and Kansas, but the margin and vote totals for the Illinois race were not reported in the source data.
The players
Juliana Stratton
Juliana Stratton is a Democratic politician who won the Illinois U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Dick Durbin.
Dick Durbin
Dick Durbin is the retiring Democratic U.S. senator from Illinois whose seat Stratton won.
Tammy Duckworth
Tammy Duckworth is a Democratic U.S. senator from Illinois who will serve alongside Stratton.
The details
Stratton, a Democrat, defeated Republican Don Tracy in the race to succeed retiring Sen. Dick Durbin. Democrats gained enough seats to control both chambers of Congress in the midterm elections held November 4, 2026.
Timeline
November 4, 2026: Midterm election results announced and Democrats won control of Congress.
Political Context
The Illinois delegation now pairs Stratton with Tammy Duckworth, extending a Senate partnership that places two women of color in the chamber together for the first time from one state. Democrats say they are ready to advance legislation now that they control Congress, though President Trump remains in the White House and can veto bills.
Democratic control of both chambers means the party will shape the legislative agenda in the coming session. Illinois voters now have two senators in Stratton and Duckworth representing the state in Washington.
The takeaway
Control of Congress will determine which priorities move forward, but President Trump's continued presence in the White House means legislation will still require bipartisan negotiation or executive engagement.
Further reading
Explore more in Elections coverage of how Illinois races shape the balance of power in Congress.
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