(The Center Square) – Voters could find out before the night is over who the major party candidates are for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Illinois U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin.
Durbin, D-Springfield, who’s been in Congress since 1983, announced last year he was not running for reelection. He was elected to the U.S. Senate and took office in 1997.
Ten Democrats are running for the party’s nomination. Lt. Gov. Julianna Stratton is among them. Gov. J.B. Pritzker endorsed her candidacy, saying she broke through a barrier.
“There’s never before been a black lieutenant governor of the state of Illinois,” Pritzker recently said at an unrelated news conference. “And we would like to have the second black woman elected to the United States Senate in Juliana Stratton. She’s the best person for the job.”
Others running include U.S. Rep. Raja Kristnamoorthi, D-Schaumburg, who recently told a union rally he’s the right person for the job.
“I just want to say to you this, you have my back and I will have your back,” he said.
Also running is U.S. Rep. Robin Kelly, D-Matteson. She touts endorsements from more than 50 members of Congress, including Minnesota U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar and New Jersey U.S. Sen. Cory Booker.
Voters choosing a Democrat primary ballot will also see Steve Botsford Jr., Sean Brown, Awisi Bustos, Jonathan Dean, Bryan Maxwell, Kevin Ryan and Christopher Swann on the ballot for the party’s U.S. Senate nomination.
Republican voters have six candidates to choose from Tuesday, including former Illinois GOP chairman Don Tracy.
“Everywhere I go, people say ‘you’ve got this.’ Actually, it makes me very nervous to hear that because we’re running through the tape,” Tracy told The Center Square Daily. “We’re taking nothing for granted.”
Tracy faces five other opponents, including attorney Jeanne Evans.
“I have been named one of the top antitrust enforcement lawyers in the country, so I’m very excited to bring my knowledge and skills to Washington to take on industries like health care, where there is a lot of anti-competitive structures,” Evans told The Center Square Daily.
Also in the race is Pamela Denise Long, Jimmy Lee Tillman II, Casey Chlebek and R. Cary Capparelli.
Polls open Tuesday in most areas of the state at 6 a.m. and close at 7 p.m.
The general midterm election is Nov. 3.
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