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Quentin Fulks open thread
Wednesday, Mar 18, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller * A whole lot of commenters here second-guessed Quentin Fulks the past several months. As you know, Q ran Pritzker’s super PAC supporting Juliana Stratton’s congressional bid. I understood the doubters because Quentin previously ran Pritzker’s failed graduated income tax constitutional amendment, so people naturally had their reservations. Lots of folks complained (myself included) that his spending started way too late for Stratton (which was a major complaint with the CA back in the day) and that Raja was so far ahead Q’s ads would never let her catch up. Those comments were likely in the hundreds. Well, LG Stratton not only caught up, but she won * Also, the legacy media journalists who bought into the prospect that Pritzker would fail in this race and are now covering for their sources is so fascinating and amusing. From the Wall St. Journal…
Hilarious. * As I’ve been saying for months, Raja’s support was likely a mile wide and an inch thick. December polls mean nothing in mid March when the real spending starts. For example, once a Black candidate and her allies start spending money, Black votes can change…
There was indeed a massive shift. Politics 101. Totally predictable. * I was talking to Christian Mitchell last night about all the Q hate from some of y’all here. And it occurred to me that maybe we should have a post where people could clear the air. It might be interesting to hear from Q’s detractors about what they think now. Have at it.
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- Alton Sinkhole - Wednesday, Mar 18, 26 @ 8:55 am:
I was one of the doubters, 100%. I was totally wrong. The patience they showed to make that late charge when they did was a thing of beauty.
I’ll take a plate of crow for breakfast.
- low level - Wednesday, Mar 18, 26 @ 9:00 am:
What else is there to say? The Stratton people ran a great race. I was wrong. Much respect.
Congrats to the people that were on the other side of my Raja Yes shares on Kalshi. They cleaned me out - lol.
- Excitable Boy - Wednesday, Mar 18, 26 @ 9:02 am:
I’m no fan of Fulks, and I think the campaign could have set Stratton apart from the pack from the jump and the race never would have been in question. But they won, by a large margin, and I’m happy Raja won’t be our next Senator. Congrats to all.
- Torco Sign - Wednesday, Mar 18, 26 @ 9:03 am:
Good win for Stratton. Fulks still whiffed on people liking taxes and being comfortable with trans athletes. That’s a bigger problem for 2028, and a victory in Illinois that didn’t deal with those issues at all is only going to make a certain faction of strategists dig in.
- hisgirlfriday - Wednesday, Mar 18, 26 @ 9:07 am:
I was extremely skeptical of Stratton being able to overtake Raja given how comparatively late her campaign started airing ads and really ramping up.
I was wrong and it looks like she peaked at just the right time.
Congrats to the pros who got it right.
- Lincoln Lad - Wednesday, Mar 18, 26 @ 9:07 am:
I always saw it as a win at any cost strategy. It was a win, but that win carries a cost. I am a diehard dem supporter. But I am less of one today as a result of the campaign. I think some support, both donors and ultimately voters have similar doubts.
- Tanya - Wednesday, Mar 18, 26 @ 9:12 am:
Does anyone think that the Governor may have stumbled on to a No Kings problem?
From a Politico article today entitled “King of Illinois: Pritzker swings Senate race” today: “Seventy-three percent of her donations came from one family,” Kelly said Tuesday afternoon, referring to Pritzker’s financial backing of Stratton.”
I think Stratton was an incredibly inspirational candidate that will be a true ground breaker and leader in Washington, DC. The Gov’s team is also doing a great job at addressing this concern but progressive Dems and Repubs may try to keep this issue alive.
- Grandson of Man - Wednesday, Mar 18, 26 @ 9:13 am:
Even though the Fair Tax campaign started late, there were still many commercials. Voters clearly and repeatedly saw that they would get tax cuts. Many voted no for fear their taxes would increase, yet they are paying higher taxes now. That most definitely is not Fulks’ fault. Congrats to him and LG Stratton.
- Norseman - Wednesday, Mar 18, 26 @ 9:13 am:
Not in tune enough to know the name, but I confess a thought that the big push was coming late. Well done.
- H-W - Wednesday, Mar 18, 26 @ 9:22 am:
Alton Sinkhole +1
I am learning a lot from this blog.
- Arsenal - Wednesday, Mar 18, 26 @ 9:29 am:
I don’t think Fulks- or Stratton, for that matter- ran a very good campaign. But “I don’t have to outrun the bear, I just have to outrun you.” Ultimately, Raja’s message was nothing more than “My name is Raja” and Kelly’s message was nothing more than “Stratton’s ads are unfair.”
- Former Downstater - Wednesday, Mar 18, 26 @ 9:35 am:
==The Gov’s team is also doing a great job at addressing this concern but progressive Dems and Repubs may try to keep this issue alive.==
I’m one of the progressives who as a general rule hates billionaires and their outsized influence in politics. But I have made peace with the fact Pritzker is both a billionaire and someone who uses his money for influence.
Fact is, the way the system is set up, some body or some organization is always going to use their money to denominate every important race everywhere. The difference? Pritzker has shown himself as someone who uses his money to push causes and candidates that benefit us. If someone is going to do this anyway, we might as well back someone who actually cares about and supports the issues we also care about.
It’s basically a “don’t hate the player, hate the game situation.” We hate the game, but Pritzker has shown himself to be a good, ethical player.
This is all basically a long way of saying I don’t think the “billionaire/king maker” argument will be as effective here with progressives as it normally would.
- John Garvey - Wednesday, Mar 18, 26 @ 9:35 am:
Not a subscriber, but I think it is a mistake to leave out Senator Durban’s role. He also gave 5 mil to the Stratton campaign & the Springfield area went for Stratton (at least in my initial glance of her votes). Please correct me if I’m mistaken.
- Rudy’s teeth - Wednesday, Mar 18, 26 @ 9:38 am:
Raja’s ads on YouTube were so annoying, inundating, and pervasive that I couldn’t vote for him as a candidate. The message of Me, Me, Me was a huge detriment. Badgering voters is not a recipe for success.
- The Carpenter - Wednesday, Mar 18, 26 @ 9:48 am:
Q deserves his flowers for this one, true. However, its a little weird that we are on the cusp of electing only our 2nd black woman to the Senate and the first post about it here is, “here’s everyone’s chance to thank the man who did it.”
- Stephanie Kollmann - Wednesday, Mar 18, 26 @ 9:50 am:
== I think it is a mistake to leave out Senator Durban’s role. He also gave 5 mil to the Stratton campaign==
???
I have not heard anything like this
- JS Mill - Wednesday, Mar 18, 26 @ 9:51 am:
I don’t have a dog in the fight but the results of the campaign thus far cannot be argued. I am going to assume that Stratton will win the general as well. So maybe Fulks knows a little something after all.
=Pritzker has shown himself as someone who uses his money to push causes and candidates that benefit us.=
I don’t benefit from some of his more progressive causes, but they don’t hurt me either. But you are correct, Pritzker has proven to care about people and not work to hurt anyone. For the billionaire class that is pretty unique right now.
- Three Dimensional Checkers - Wednesday, Mar 18, 26 @ 10:04 am:
I don’t know or hate Fulks, and my opinions probably do not matter much. But I can see not going on air earlier hurting more for the CA than in this election. There seems to be a difference between a primary between 3 similar candidates and a major policy issue. More calcified opinions about the CA. The voters spoke too, and you can only blame a campaign manager so much.
- Loop Lady - Wednesday, Mar 18, 26 @ 10:06 am:
Congrats to Stratton and the Gov.
I still can’t think of anything she has done to qualify as the next US
Senator from IL.
Please enlighten me Stratton supporters.
- Politix - Wednesday, Mar 18, 26 @ 10:14 am:
Having worked with her team on her priority issues for several years, I knew Juliana was the best candidate for the seat. It was frustrating to see it consistently overshadowed by Raja’s name recognition and $$.
++Does anyone think that the Governor may have stumbled on to a No Kings problem?++
Wow. No. He is winning because he is a legit servant to the people of Illinois and deserving of trust and respect. It gives him the power and influence to do more and better, and that has always seemed to be the goal. He gave Juliana $5M, while reports indicate Raja raised $20M with a $50M war chest. There are no kings here.
- Excitable Boy - Wednesday, Mar 18, 26 @ 10:19 am:
- I still can’t think of anything she has done to qualify as the next US
Senator from IL. -
She won the nomination, and that’s all it takes.
- NIU Grad - Wednesday, Mar 18, 26 @ 10:19 am:
“The message of Me, Me, Me was a huge detriment”
To the post: This was something I would hear from casual voters frequently. They didn’t like Raja’s focus on himself and constantly talking about his name. The Stratton campaign constantly had videos of her with other people, including prominent Dems that supported her. That really helped sink in a subtle “This is about you, not me” sort of campaign.
Despite Raja’s millions, he was a lonely campaigner. When you have $20 million in the bank and never share it with colleagues over the years, don’t be surprised when you don’t have anyone lifting a finger for you.
- ChicagoBars - Wednesday, Mar 18, 26 @ 10:20 am:
I think Mike Z ran a mich better campaign opposing graduated income tax with Ken Griffin’s money than Raja ran with his own money this year. Not a knock on Mr Fulks at all. Just much different opponents in 2026 than back on Fair Tax.
- Concerned Observer - Wednesday, Mar 18, 26 @ 10:31 am:
Excitable Boy - she yelled at the right buildings, at the right volume, for the right electorate, at the right time.
Whether that’s fully a function of Mr. Fulks’ and the campaign strategy, the candidate herself, or sheer dumb luck…it worked.
And it’s why Raja didn’t win, IMO. He couldn’t/didn’t tap into the anger in anything more than a performative way.
- Concerned Observer - Wednesday, Mar 18, 26 @ 10:32 am:
Oops, my comment was a reply to Loop Lady, not E-B.
- Remember the Alamo II - Wednesday, Mar 18, 26 @ 10:43 am:
I don’t think that Fulks ran the best campaign here. The campaign was forced to go too negative, which will ultimately depress voter turnout and confidence in our elected officials. But he did nothing different from what all of the other consultants did in almost every other race in this State. With all of what is happening at the Federal level, the Democrats had an opportunity to pivot and change course to a brand of politics that focuses on solving problems and helping those that are struggling. Instead, we got some of the same old tired negative campaigns that will not boost the brand come November. In a state like Illinois, that will not matter much. But this brand of politics at the national level will undoubtedly fail. Hope this lesson gets learned before 2028, but when bad campaigns succeed, there is relatively little incentive to change.
With all of this said, however, Stratton still won. People need to remember what the largest voting block in Democratic primaries is. To this end, nobody can doubt the voting power of black women. Juliana Stratton is the embodiment of that power. I think she will serve well in the US Senate.
I think the relative praise or criticism of Fulks needs to be taken in context of the races he is running. As far as the fair tax goes, despite being a blue state, people loathe taxes. Property taxes, income taxes, sales taxes people hate them. Taxation is not a red vs blue issue here in Illinois and until people stop thinking in terms of that dichotomy, there will not be any sort of fair tax in Illinois.
- Grandson of Man - Wednesday, Mar 18, 26 @ 11:03 am:
“I still can’t think of anything she has done to qualify as the next US Senator from IL”
She shares the governor’s excellent record as LG, and she has legislative experience. She stood up to the most destructive politician in state history, the former governor.
- Responsa - Wednesday, Mar 18, 26 @ 11:10 am:
One can’t argue with the result and I don’t. But I cannot bring myself to praise the architect of the campaign. It was surprisingly slow out of the gate which created a tremendous hole that had to be made up in a short period of time. That need for catch-up numbers set the stage for the concentrated, horrific, beyond the pale lies, negativity and ultimately mutual mortal combat that was a turnoff to most sentient persons in the final weeks of the senate race. It’s called collateral damage to the system.
- Portillo's Shake - Wednesday, Mar 18, 26 @ 11:50 am:
A PAC and the campaign are two different things….if you want to blame the campaign for a slow start that’s not on Fulks
- hisgirlfriday - Wednesday, Mar 18, 26 @ 11:52 am:
Apologies if this is not the right thread for it, but am I the only one viewing this victory lap tweet by AIPAC over Stratton’s win as them trolling Pritzker? Or is this just glomming on to her success?
https://x.com/ZacharyDonnini/status/2034091001619337619
- Excitable Boy - Wednesday, Mar 18, 26 @ 11:53 am:
- A PAC and the campaign are two different things…. -
Except Stratton basically outsourced her entire campaign to the PAC.
- Amalia - Wednesday, Mar 18, 26 @ 11:58 am:
A win is a win but it might not be instructive for how to handle other campaigns. the biggest thing for me is that once people had a chance to see Julianna not just as a fighter but as the sweet glorious person she is she overcame smarmy Raja and kinda blank Kelly. through her term as Lt. Gov Julianna has reached out to people in a very different way. Solitary walks, fitness, mindfulness. I’ve only met her once but her vibe connects. She’s further to the left than I am but she connects!
- keep trying - Wednesday, Mar 18, 26 @ 12:01 pm:
Q ran a lean and mean operation with a limited budget and deployed it at the right time to make an actual difference. He’s a good operative and too many people are cheering for the downfall of Pritzker’s team, but they show that they know what they’re doing. Good work to Q! He made her competitive and gave her a real chance. Lotta people owe him a big thank you.
- Candy Dogood - Wednesday, Mar 18, 26 @ 12:22 pm:
===second-guessed Quentin Fulks===
It’s not uncommon for politicos to refuse to take credit for the losses they’re involved in and even less common for them to be willing to publicly learn from them. I’ve stated before that this was Raja’s race to lose and his message failed to evolve over the course of this campaign and he ran the same tired ads for months.
Stratton as a candidate had it both ways, condemn PACs supporting her opponents and deny involvement with the PAC her campaign was red boxing to coordinate with. Are PACs good or are PACs bad? Is it good or bad for billionaires and millionaires to buy elections?
I hope Stratton as a Senator — which come November I hope will be the case will lead the charge on a constitutional amendment to end the outsized influence the very, very, very wealthy have on our political process.
But here’s the conundrum — what exactly is Mr. Fulks responsible for?
And what are we to give him credit for that should be resting with Stratton herself and her campaign team?
I’d certainly have more respect for the folks running these packs if the red boxing thing didn’t exist. I’ll remain unconvinced. But I’ll chime in that his victory lap should be done in the dark like the transparency of the organization he is running.
I understand no one wants to own a loss, but I’m not sure how much credit he should be able to take for this primary win.
- Regular democrat - Wednesday, Mar 18, 26 @ 12:23 pm:
Raja ran a rather bland campaign. It would appear he is not too popular with his peers in elected office.. that commercial he ran with the union guy, a retired congressman, and a current Alderman. Those are the only three people that came to bat for him.. if you spend 10 years in Congress and you have nothing to show for it except a big bank account people see right through that
- Arsenal - Wednesday, Mar 18, 26 @ 12:50 pm:
== that was a turnoff to most sentient persons==
This was a pretty high turnout primary, but I’m sure you think half a million of your fellow Illinoisans aren’t “sentient”.
- uialum - Wednesday, Mar 18, 26 @ 12:52 pm:
=what exactly is Mr. Fulks responsible for?=
Given that the Stratton campaign spent $1 million on paid media and Fulks spent over $10 million, then I would say that he is responsible for the entire Stratton media strategy. For a start.
- Anon324 - Wednesday, Mar 18, 26 @ 12:57 pm:
==I think it is a mistake to leave out Senator Durban’s role. He also gave 5 mil to the Stratton campaign==
I believe you are mistaken. It would be pretty crazy for Durbin, whose net worth is estimated at $4 million, to give $5 million, and his campaign fund didn’t have that kind of cash available, either. The only person who gave that kind of money this cycle was JB.
- Candy Dogood - Wednesday, Mar 18, 26 @ 1:07 pm:
===I would say that he is responsible for the entire Stratton media strategy. For a start.===
So Lt Governor Stratton would not have won her primary race if it weren’t for the support of a Super PAC that was responsible for her “entire” campaign’s media strategy? I thought she was against PACs, now you’re saying she’s dependent on them?
I don’t think you’re making the point you think you’re making, either that or I did a bad job of making my point. Readers choice.
- Dotnonymous x - Wednesday, Mar 18, 26 @ 1:18 pm:
Crow tastes like chicken?
- uialum - Wednesday, Mar 18, 26 @ 1:20 pm:
=So Lt Governor Stratton would not have won her primary race if it weren’t for the support of a Super PAC=
Yes. I’m saying that without the independent expenditure on her behalf, she would not have won. Anyone who doubts that clearly just has a grudge against Quentin and does not understand anything how political campaigns operate.
- LOL - Wednesday, Mar 18, 26 @ 1:28 pm:
Someone tell Candy that a red box only matters if you have actual polling to back it up. Stratton’s campaign didn’t have the money to conduct real message testing to red box. They red boxed vibes. The PAC Quentin ran had actual money to do the research, develop a strategy and deploy that strategy when it mattered. Some poeple on this blog must think budgets are endless and money doesn’t matter. You can only get on air and work within the budget you have. Quentin deployed his budget and correct messaging at the time when it mattered. Not in the fall when no one was paying attention to this race. Also, PACs pay 3-4x the rate candidates pay, so your money doesn’t buy as much as a candidate’s money does. Speaking even more to the strategy deployed working.
- LOL - Wednesday, Mar 18, 26 @ 1:30 pm:
Also, Juliana rejected corporate PAC money. The Governor’s support is not corporate PAC money. Take off the hate glasses, people. JB is the most prolific democratic donor in the country. His money ain’t the same as a MAGA crypto bro money.
- Rich Miller - Wednesday, Mar 18, 26 @ 1:47 pm:
===From a Politico===
That’s where I usually stop reading.
- Suburban Mom - Wednesday, Mar 18, 26 @ 1:49 pm:
I’m not deep enough in the weeds to know Q, queue but I was morbidly convinced when Raja rolled out so early and Stratton started late that I would be voting for Raja in November whether I wanted to or not. I was freaking delighted when early voting got underway and it looked like Stratton was peaking at the right time and everybody was tired of listening to Raja.
Even my dad, who does not approve of the use of the f word in politics, thought Stratton’s F Trump ad was funny and clever.
Proud to vote for her, and excited to vote for her again in November. Firmly believe she was far and away the best candidate in the race.
- Rich Miller - Wednesday, Mar 18, 26 @ 1:51 pm:
=== Senator Durban’s role. He also gave 5 mil===
You really should go back to Facebook.
- Rich Miller - Wednesday, Mar 18, 26 @ 1:52 pm:
===“here’s everyone’s chance to thank the man who did it.”===
Totally ridiculous. The premise is, here’s everyone’s chance who piled on Quentin to fess up about why they were wrong.
- Annon'in - Wednesday, Mar 18, 26 @ 2:47 pm:
Stratton won. Q gets credit. They did start the PAC ads too late, but let the Raja — proMAGA money from ICE contractor slide by unrebutted. Those weekend Obama & Jackson “endorsements” probably helped too.
BTW whoever thought calling it “fair ta” should probably find a new calling.
- go illini - Wednesday, Mar 18, 26 @ 3:05 pm:
I’m sorry, but if I was handed 8 figures from a billionaire, a good candidate, and an opponent named Krishnamoorthi with the personality of a paper sack, I think I could win too. Q has had the good fortune to work for people (Pritzker) and campaigns (GA Senate) that had more money than God to play around with. The one and only time the other side had enough fire power to go blow for blow, he…blew it (grad tax).
- Six Degrees of Separation - Wednesday, Mar 18, 26 @ 3:07 pm:
Let’s give IL voters some credit, too for choosing to be represented by a diverse collection of federal and state officers. 41 states have never elected a Black senator, and only IL has had three (although Burris was an appointee).
- Candy Dogood - Wednesday, Mar 18, 26 @ 3:20 pm:
===everyone’s chance===
As I wrote above, I remain unconvinced. There’s only one person’s opinion on Mr. Fulks’ job performance that matters.
I don’t think there’s anything wrong with the statement “Stratton ran a great campaign” and leaving it at that. If folks want to compare belt lengths let’s at least wait until after November.
- Ela Observer - Wednesday, Mar 18, 26 @ 8:18 pm:
Congrats to Quentin for winning this. But I also remember that he was highly placed in the Kamala Harris campaign and look how that turned out…
- Shytown - Wednesday, Mar 18, 26 @ 9:09 pm:
Late to the party but Quentin is a talent. It’s lazy to say his success was due to having “money” or working with a “good candidate.” Warlock was not a guaranteed win. Kamala’s race was doomed from the start. The fair tax was doomed as it collided with the onslaught of covid (it was a helluva time to ask folks to trust the government to change the income tax system). The Juliana super pac’s paid campaign was key to helping her break through and beyond Raja’s ceiling. Let’s give credit where it’s due.