All articles tagged with #democratic primary
Progressive Twitch streamer Hasan Piker joined Dr. Abdul El-Sayed at a Michigan State University rally to gauge how his online following can translate into real‑world political influence for the 2026 campaign, drawing about 400 attendees and illustrating the growing role of streaming figures in Democratic politics.
Sen. Elizabeth Warren endorsed Graham Platner in Maine's competitive Democratic primary to challenge Sen. Susan Collins, praising his working-class background and combat service while noting he runs without corporate PAC money; Platner’s main rival, Gov. Janet Mills, is backed by party leadership, and Platner has faced scrutiny over past Reddit posts he has since apologized for.
With roughly 92% of votes counted, state Rep. Margaret Croke leads state Sen. Karina Villa 34.6% to 32.2% in the Illinois Democratic primary for comptroller, while Lake County Treasurer Holly Kim is third at 24% and about 88,000 Chicago mail ballots remain outstanding; results remain too close to call as remaining ballots could shift the outcome, and the winner will face Republican Bryan Drew in November.
Illinois Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton won the Democratic U.S. Senate primary after a late surge, defeating Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi as turnout topped 1.1 million; with Sen. Dick Durbin retiring, Stratton is favored to face the Republican in November. She benefited from a late fundraising push, including support from Gov. JB Pritzker, and ran on abolishing ICE, contrasting with Krishnamoorthi's more measured immigration stance. If elected, Stratton would be the sixth Black woman in the Senate, and it would mark three Black women serving in the chamber at once.
Kat Abughazaleh, a 26-year-old progressive challenger, lost the Illinois 9th District Democratic primary to Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss, who appears headed to Congress in a district that leans Democratic; Laura Fine finished behind them in a distant third.
The pro-Israel group AIPAC backed two Illinois Democratic House candidates in the 2026 primaries—Donna Miller in the 2nd and Melissa Bean in the 8th—using affiliated PACs to funnel millions and disguise the spend. The wins mark a comeback after prior losses and show AIPAC’s continued ability to influence primaries, though other races (like Laura Fine in the 9th) went against them and several progressives criticized the tactic as overly centrist branding.
Illinois Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton won the Democratic primary to succeed retiring Sen. Dick Durbin, defeating Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi as results continued to come in; backed by Gov. J.B. Pritzker, Stratton leads Krishnamoorthi and will face former GOP chair Don Tracy in November, positioning her to become one of the state’s first Black U.S. senators. Krishnamoorthi conceded and pledged support. Stratton’s platform includes Medicare for All, a $25 minimum wage and abolishing ICE, highlighting a progressive contrast with Krishnamoorthi on immigration policy.
Illinois state Rep. La Shawn Ford won the crowded Democratic primary to succeed retiring Rep. Danny Davis in Chicago’s 7th District, emerging as the favorite for November after Davis endorsed him. The race drew national attention and heavy outside spending, including a crypto-funded PAC that spent about $2.5 million against Ford over his crypto-regulation stance, as Ford pledged to continue Davis’ legacy and push federal funding for district health services and education.
Former Rep. Melissa Bean wins the Democratic primary in Illinois’ 8th District, boosted by nearly $4 million in outside spending from an AIPAC-aligned group and an AI-focused committee, positioning her for a return to Congress to succeed Raja Krishnamoorthi, who is running for the Senate, with a message of pragmatism in a solid blue district.
Illinois Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton has won the Democratic Senate primary, NBC News projects, defeating Reps. Raja Krishnamoorthi and Robin Kelly as she led Cook County with about 40% of the vote (Krishnamoorthi ~29%, Kelly ~23%) with roughly 80% of ballots counted. Backed by Gov. JB Pritzker and Sen. Tammy Duckworth, Stratton would be the sixth Black woman in the Senate and part of the first trio of Black women to serve simultaneously; she positions herself as a progressive fighter and will face former GOP chairman Don Tracy in November.
Cook County Commissioner Donna Miller defeated former Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. in Illinois’ 2nd District Democratic primary, in a high-profile comeback bid that drew millions in outside spending from an AIPAC-aligned group backing Miller and a pro-Jackson PAC funded by OpenAI stakeholders. Miller built broad district support with a focus on public health, safety and budget oversight, positioning her for a November win in the heavily Democratic seat as Robin Kelly runs for the Senate.
In Illinois’ safely Democratic 9th District, Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss (Gen X) and 26-year-old Kat Abughazaleh lead a crowded Democratic primary to replace retiring Rep. Jan Schakowsky. The race is less about policy divergence and more about how far Democrats should shift from party norms, with Biss emphasizing experience and advocacy while Abughazaleh pushes a more radical, anti-establishment, pro‑mutual‑aid message that resonates with a younger base. The contest also touches on fundraising, donor influence, and Israel policy, including AIPAC-linked spending, as voters weigh generational change and leadership style ahead of the March 17, 2026 primary.
In Illinois’ open Senate race, three Democrats—Raja Krishnamoorthi, Juliana Stratton and Robin Kelly—present starkly different takes on ICE, with Krishnamoorthi calling for reforms, Stratton pushing to abolish ICE, and Kelly advocating dismantling the agency while focusing on affordability; television ads across the state (and nationally) heavily reference ICE as a political battleground, reflecting broader Democratic debates about enforcement versus reform after recent enforcement surges and high-profile incidents. The contest also features intra-party tensions over donors and tactics, and serves as an early gauge of whether anti-ICE messaging can sustain momentum in Democratic primaries."
In Mississippi’s 2nd Congressional District, Democratic incumbent Bennie Thompson won the Democratic primary with about 86% of the 65,100 votes, defeating Evan Turnage and Pertis Williams (AP called the winner). In the Republican primary, Ron Eller narrowly defeated Kevin Wilson, 51.1% to 48.9% of 22,884 votes. The Cook Political Report still rates the district Solidly Democratic, giving Thompson a strong path to November.
Texas Reps. Al Green and Christian Menefee will face off in a runoff for the newly redrawn 18th District after neither won a majority in the Democratic primary, underscoring a generational shift within the party.