Illinois Democratic primary voters head to the polls Tuesday in a high-stakes U.S. Senate race to replace retiring Sen. Dick Durbin, alongside House contests drawing massive outside spending. AIPAC's nearly $22 million targets moderates in key House races amid Israel policy tensions, with total external funds from AIPAC, tech, and crypto interests reaching $50 million. Gov. JB Pritzker's backing of one Senate hopeful has sparked backlash from Black leaders.
The Democratic primaries feature a tight U.S. Senate contest where Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi leads polls, Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton gains via Gov. JB Pritzker's fundraising support, and Rep. Robin Kelly trails. All decry 'Trump chaos' (NPR), but spar over donors: Stratton hits Krishnamoorthi's past Trump contributions (which he clarifies aided immigrant groups), while Krishnamoorthi critiques her corporate ties. Kelly's ads reject negativity: 'Oh, hell, no. My opponents want to attack each other while we struggle.' Pritzker's favoritism toward Stratton has drawn ire from Black leaders, including Congressional Black Caucus Chair Yvette Clarke backing Kelly: 'A sitting governor shouldn’t be heavy-handing the race.' Fears linger of a Black vote split between Kelly and Stratton boosting Krishnamoorthi. These Senate bids have opened House seats, where AIPAC has invested nearly $22 million through allied PACs like Elect Chicago Women to back moderates such as state Sen. Laura Fine (IL-09, succeeding Rep. Jan Schakowsky) and Donna Miller (IL-02, vs. former Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr., who gets crypto PAC aid). Tactics shifted in IL-09 from Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss to progressive Palestinian-American Kat Abughazaleh to avert 'Squad'-like wins, per an AIPAC source. AdImpact tracks over $35 million in TV ads alone, with AI/crypto adding $15 million more; total across Senate and four House races nears $50 million (NPR). David Axelrod dubbed it a 'Wild West fundraising deal.' Outcomes will gauge AIPAC sway as Democrats question Israel policy.
