On January 26, 2026, Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi, D-Ill, engaged in the first Illinois U.S. Senate primary debate, which according to his campaign, he won hands down. The three candidates in the debate included Reps. Krishnamoorthi, and Robin Kelly, as well as Illinois Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton. The event was hosted by WBEZ Chicago, a radio station, as well as the Chicago Sun-Times, University of Chicago’s Institute of Politics and International House.
Over the course of the hour long debate, Krishnamoorthi’s campaign says, his opponent “focused her time not on solutions but cheap political attacks,” whereas, “Raja spoke directly to Illinois voters about his fight to rein in the Trump Administration, lower costs, and ensure that every Illinois family has the opportunity to thrive.”
The debate was dominated by the subject of immigration enforcement, news reports said, as Stratton began by accusing Krishnamoorthi of having “voted to thank” the federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency, and “accepted funding from ICE contractors,” wbez.org reported. The charges were strongly denied by the Indian American Congressman.
Krishnamoorthi’s campaign said in its press release that he highlighted his plan to make life more affordable, including his bill to help Illinoisans buy their first home and his work to modernize America’s skilled job training programs. He also spoke of his work to hold Trump accountable, including his calls to abolish Trump’s ICE, unmask agents, and oppose DHS funding.
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Krishnamoorthi claims Stratton’s attacks were a result of being “25+ points behing in the polls” and not being able to raise campaign funds to raise her to second place in the polls.
Krishnamoorthi’s campaign pointed to news reports about Stratton’s record in the press release, quoting several news reports to do so.