Sen. Tammy Duckworth endorsed Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton for Senate, giving Stratton backing from a second top state Democrat.

Duckworth’s endorsement of Stratton follows Durbin's retirement announcement last week after nearly 30 years in the Senate.

With no other Democratic candidates announcing campaigns for the 2026 primary by Monday morning, Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton secured the endorsement of two of the state’s top Democrats before fielding any competition.