Juliana Stratton and Don Tracy to hold first Senate debate

Lieutenant Governor Juliana Stratton and former Illinois Republican Party chair Don Tracy are scheduled for their only televised debate for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Senator Dick Durbin.

The candidates have engaged in sharp rhetoric throughout the campaign. Stratton has connected Tracy to the policies of Donald Trump, while Tracy has utilized Chicago billboards to label Stratton a “socialist.”

Financial records from the Federal Election Commission show Stratton had $1.6 million in cash on hand at the end of September. Tracy reported $1.1 million in cash but had lent $2 million to his campaign in August 2025. Stratton previously won her primary with 40.4% of the vote, supported by a $10 million boost from Governor JB Pritzker.