* Not unexpected…
…Adding… Raja out with a poll from… April?…
As the race for the Democratic nomination to the U.S. Senate in Illinois begins to take shape, a recent survey of likely Democratic primary voters shows Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi in a strong position in a multi-candidate contest.
While the survey showed Raja in the lead in a larger field with five candidates, his lead actually expands in a scenario limited to the three currently announced candidates.
Congresswoman Lauren Underwood’s supporters were more likely to select Raja as their second choice candidate than anyone else. When Underwood and Treasurer Mike Frerichs’ supporters are allocated to their second choices, Raja opens up a 9-point advantage over Lieutenant Governor Juliana Stratton.
Congresswoman Robin Kelly also sits in double digits in this scenario, with a large share of the electorate still undecided.
1 Results are taken from a survey of 800 likely voters in the March 2026 Democratic primary for U.S. Senate in Illinois. Interviews were conducted by live dialers via telephone and through text-to-web responses between April 24-28, 2025. Results carry a margin of error of +/- 3.5 percentage points at a 95 percent confidence interval.
2 Alternative race scenarios with fewer candidates were calculated by asking respondents who their second choice would be, if their
first choice was not in the race. Those voters whose second choice was not included in the simulation were allocated to ‘undecided.’
Ancient numbers, but interesting.
…Adding… Press release…
As a part of her continued work to stand up for Illinois’ 14th Congressional District and counter Donald Trump’s dangerous MAGA agenda in Washington, Congresswoman Lauren Underwood (IL-14) today issued the following statement regarding her political future:
“In 2018, I was elected to protect health care for people with pre-existing conditions. Since then we’ve gotten 19 pieces of legislation signed into law – bringing home billions of dollars and expanding access to high quality affordable health care for every American.
“Now, Donald Trump and his Administration are renewing their attacks on health care by trying to slash Medicaid and undo all the progress we’ve made, which would have deadly consequences for working families across the country. Our work is not done, and I’ve decided the most powerful way for me to defend our values and hold Donald Trump accountable is to help Democrats win back the House.
“By serving in House Democratic leadership and leading the DCCC recruitment efforts, I’ll continue working to drive down costs for American families, flip the House, and elect a new generation of changemakers. I’m excited to keep leading that fight at home and in Washington.”
Underwood’s decision to forgo a run for the United States Senate coincides with non-partisan projections showing that the most likely way for Democrats to regain power in Washington is through winning back the House of Representatives in 2026. As a member of Democratic House leadership, and as the DCCC Recruitment Co-Chair, Underwood will be playing a key role in helping Democrats flip the House in the 2026 cycle.
“Lauren Underwood has been a force to be reckoned with in the House of Representatives since she successfully flipped a long-held Republican district in 2018,” said House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries (NY-8). “As a valuable member of leadership, Congresswoman Underwood is playing a critical role in helping House Democrats communicate decisively with voters as we fight the reckless Republican budget scheme and work hard to win back the majority in 2026. At this pivotal moment, Lauren’s work in the House to stop Donald Trump’s dangerous MAGA agenda is needed now more than ever and we look forward to her continued leadership.”
“Congresswoman Underwood is a proven fighter who knows how to flip Republican seats and win tough races,” said DCCC Chairwoman, Congresswoman Suzan DelBene (WA-01). “As the DCCC Recruitment Co-Chair, Congresswoman Underwood is on the frontlines of bringing the best and brightest to Congress to stop MAGA Republicans and fight for working families. The road to a better United States runs through the House, and we’re lucky to have Congresswoman Underwood helping to pave it.”
Lauren Underwood is a four term United States Congresswoman from Illinois’ 14 district, where she helped flip the House of Representatives and was elected as the youngest Black Congresswoman in history in 2018. In 2024, Underwood won reelection to the House in 2024 by 10 points, while Vice President Harris only won the district by 5 points. Currently the Cook Political Report scores the 14th District as D+3 in their Partisan Voting Index, down one point from 2023.
…Adding… Congresswoman Robin Kelly…
Lauren Underwood is a smart colleague who works very hard for her district and for our state. She’s been a leader in shaping both the message and the future of our party for the better. Lauren and I have both worked diligently on ending the maternal mortality crisis — and I know she will continue to be a critical partner in delivering for the people of Illinois.
…Adding… Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton…
With the constant chaos coming out of Donald Trump’s Washington, taking back the House is more vital than ever before, and Lauren Underwood’s leadership is critical to making that a reality. I’m grateful for Lauren’s advocacy, especially on health care and reproductive rights, and I’m proud to have her fighting for Illinois in Washington.
