Democratic Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton and Republican Don Tracy participated in a televised forum on Tuesday, October 20, 2026, as they compete to succeed retiring U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL). The live discussion, moderated by "Chicago Tonight" anchor Brandis Friedman, took place at the WTTW studios.
The event follows Durbin’s announcement last year that he would not seek reelection after serving nearly 30 years in the Senate. Durbin currently serves as the No. 2 Democrat in the chamber. The race between Stratton, a Chicago resident, and Tracy, a former Republican state party chair from central Illinois, comes as early voting is already underway.
During the forum, the candidates addressed several topics, including immigration, healthcare, housing affordability, gas prices, minimum wage, and tariffs. The Cook Political Report has categorized the contest as "Solid Democratic" heading into the November 3 general election.
Durbin has held the position since 1997. With early voting already expanded in Chicago and suburban Cook County as of Monday, October 19, voters are already casting ballots for the leadership change.
The knock-on effects of this race extend to the balance of power in the U.S. Senate, where Durbin currently holds a high-ranking leadership post. A change in representation could alter Illinois' influence on Senate committees. Following this forum, the campaign enters its final phase before the November 3 election. Results will determine the successor who will be sworn in at the start of the new congressional term in January.