Illinois Lieutenant Governor Juliana Stratton is making a move for higher office. On Thursday, she announced her bid for the U.S. Senate, just one day after longtime Senator Dick Durbin—who has held the seat for nearly three decades—revealed he won’t seek reelection in 2026.

Illinois Lieutenant Governor Juliana Stratton announced she will run for U.S. Senate next year on Thursday morning. If she wins the Democratic primary and the subsequent general election, Stratton would be the second Black woman elected to represent Illinois in the Senate.

BREAKING THIS MORNING: Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton made it official with an early-morning statement that she’s running for U.S. Senate — a move that follows veteran Sen. Dick Durbin’s announcement Wednesday that he won’t seek re-election in 2026.