Stratton survives battle. New faces emerge. Illinois primary takeaways

Juliana Stratton is likely to become the 6th Black woman senator in U.S. history after winning her primary with an aggressive anti-Trump message.

Democratic voters itching for a new direction during the 2026 primary season took advantage of a rare opportunity to significantly reshape the national party by backing a new generation of faces in the March 17 Illinois primary.

The marquee race in that election was picking a replacement for longtime incumbent Dick Durbin, a liberal lion in the U.S. Senate who is retiring since first being elected in 1996.

As Democrats continue to block homeland security funding, the contenders for that Senate seat largely jousted over President Donald Trump's aggressive deportation campaign, which flooded Chicago with immigration enforcement agents and National Guard troops as part of last year's "Operation Midway Blitz."

But at least four other battles for congressional seats in the solidly blue state saw millions of dollars pouring in from outside groups seeking to influence the outcome and the direction of a progressive wave hitting multiple states.

Here are the important takeaways from Tuesday's results.