Former Illinois Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton has released a new campaign ad in her bid to win the Senate seat being vacated by Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin.
The ad is blunt and direct, featuring several Illinois residents—including Democratic Sen. Tammy Duckworth, a longtime critic of President Donald Trump—looking into the camera and saying, “Fuck Trump.”
Gov. JB Pritzker also appears alongside Stratton in the spot.
“They said it, not me,” Stratton says in the ad. “I'm proud to have lived my whole life on the South Side of Chicago. I'm not scared of a wannabe dictator.”
“I'm running for Senate to stand up to Donald Trump. I'll abolish ICE and hold Trump accountable for the crimes he's committed. Just like they said …” she finishes before more people exclaim, “Fuck Trump.
Trump’s use of Immigration and Customs Enforcement goons to terrorize Chicago has been met with defiance from state officials—including Duckworth and Pritzker.
Stratton first gained national attention in 2016, when former President Barack Obama gave her a rare endorsement in a Democratic primary for the Illinois legislature. She went on to defeat incumbent Ken Dunkin.
Durbin, a senior Democrat, announced his plans to retire in April 2025—setting up a competitive Democratic primary that also includes Reps. Raja Krishnamoorthi and Robin Kelly.
Krishnamoorthi has posted strong fundraising numbers, second only to Sen. Jon Ossoff of Georgia. But Stratton has secured endorsements from Pritzker, Duckworth, and Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts.
Walter Einenkel February 20, 2026 at 12:30AM From Daily Kos
0 Comments