Will Raja Reign? Rep. Krishnamoorthi Leads Race to Become Illinois’ First Indian American Senator

U.S. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi entered the race for Illinois’ open Senate seat nearly a year ago as the presumptive frontrunner, armed with a $28.5 million war chest and name recognition from nearly a decade in Congress. But as the March 17, 2026 primary approaches, the 51-year-old Indian American congressman finds himself in an unexpectedly tight contest that could determine whether Illinois sends its first South Asian American to the U.S. Senate.

Krishnamoorthi, who represents Illinois’ 8th Congressional District in the northwest suburbs, launched his campaign in May last year, with a video that made light of his “funny name,” comparing it to former President Barack Obama, for whom he once worked. “Bullies like Trump can call us names, but you can just call me Raja,” he says in campaign ads, according to Capitol News Illinois, playing off a slogan that’s been a hallmark of his television advertisements since he first ran for Congress in 2016.

Narrowing Race

Initial polling showed Krishnamoorthi with a commanding lead. An Emerson College Polling/WGN-TV survey conducted Jan. 3-5, 2026, found 31% of Democratic primary voters backed Krishnamoorthi, putting him more than 20 percentage points ahead of Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton (10%) and Rep. Robin Kelly (8%), according to The Hill. At that time, 46% of voters remained undecided.

“With just over two months until the Democratic primary contest to replace retiring Senator Durbin, Krishnamoorthi’s support is driven by voters over 50, 42% of whom support the congressman, and male primary voters, 41% of whom support him,” Spencer Kimball, executive director of Emerson College Polling, said at the time, according to Emerson College Polling. “Nearly half of women, 49%, are undecided when it comes to who to support, while 26% support Krishnamoorthi, 13% Stratton, and 8% Kelly.”

However, the race has tightened dramatically. The latest Public Policy Polling survey, sponsored by the Democratic Lieutenant Governors Association and conducted Feb. 23-24, showed Krishnamoorthi with just a two-point lead over Stratton (29% to 27%), according to Newsweek. This represents a significant shift from earlier in February when Krishnamoorthi led by 11 points (34% to 23%). Notably, 31% of respondents were still undecided, and 13% said they would vote for Kelly.

Kalshi betting odds currently favor Krishnamoorthi, giving him a 57% chance of winning, while Stratton has a 42% chance, according to Newsweek.

The Pritzker Factor

One major factor in the tightening race is Gov. JB Pritzker’s full-throated support for Stratton. The billionaire governor endorsed her a day after she launched her campaign in April 2025 and has contributed $5 million to a PAC supporting her campaign, according to NBC News and The Wall Street Journal.

While Pritzker contributed only $3,500 directly to Stratton’s primary campaign and another $3,500 earmarked for the general election — the maximum allowed under federal rules — he has found other avenues to support her financially, according to Capitol News Illinois.

When asked how Pritzker’s endorsement influences their vote, 24% of voters said they’re more likely to support a candidate endorsed by Pritzker, while 38% are less likely, according to Emerson College Polling. Pritzker’s endorsement makes no impact for 38% of voters.

The Indian American Dimension

If elected, Krishnamoorthi would be the first Indian American elected to the Senate from Illinois. He has represented Illinois’s 8th congressional district since 2017 after first being elected to the House in 2016, according to NBC News.

His opponents have said it took community pushback for Krishnamoorthi to return campaign donations from executives at Palantir Technologies, a company that does business with ICE.

His path to elected office was not immediate. His first run for political office was in 2010 for the Democratic Party nomination for Illinois Comptroller, where he lost in the primary. His next election was also a loss to Tammy Duckworth in 2012 for the Democratic nomination for the U.S. House seat in Illinois’s 8th congressional district. But when Duckworth ran for the U.S. Senate in 2016, Krishnamoorthi declared his candidacy and has won that seat in every election since.

Krishnamoorthi’s Record

Krishnamoorthi, an attorney by training, worked on Obama’s early campaigns for Congress in Illinois, according to NBC News. He said he hasn’t spoken to Obama about his Senate plans. “The most important endorsement is the people of Illinois,” he said. “And I’m going to go everywhere and try to ask for everyone’s endorsement.”

According to CBS News Chicago, Krishnamoorthi voted in line with President Biden 100% of the time during his four years in office. When asked by CBS News Chicago Political reporter Chris Tye which areas he does not toe the Democratic Party line, Krishnamoorthi cited several issues:

“Banning the trading of individual stocks by members of Congress, and that’s not something that really veterans on either side like,” he said, according to CBS. “I also believe in term limits. I believe in age limits. I believe also in term limits for the Supreme Court.”

When asked if there’s anything the Trump administration has done that gets his seal of approval, Krishnamoorthi said “putting a focus back on manufacturing in the U.S.” “I think that’s a good idea for various reasons. Not only is it good for our economic security, but it also helps people climb into the middle class,” he said, according to CBS.

His opponents have said it took community pushback for Krishnamoorthi to return campaign donations from executives at Palantir Technologies, a company that does business with ICE, according to CBS. Krishnamoorthi defended his response: “No. As soon as it came up, I basically donated it to migrant groups here,” he said. “I’m glad it was brought to my attention.”

Krishnamoorthi this week stepped down from his position as the top Democrat on the House select panel on competition between the U.S. and China, according to The Hill. Though he didn’t cite a specific reason for his exit, it comes as the Senate race ramps up.

The General Election Outlook

The Illinois Senate election is not considered competitive outside the primary. Both the Cook Political Report and Sabato’s Crystal Ball classify it as solid or safe for Democrats, according to Newsweek. Kalshi’s betting odds give Democrats a 97% chance of holding the seat in November.

Illinois is generally viewed as safe for Democrats, though it shifted notably to the right in the 2024 presidential race. It backed Vice President Kamala Harris by about 11 points over President Donald Trump. Four years earlier, it backed President Joe Biden by about 17 points, according to Newsweek.

The winner of the Democratic primary will be the heavy favorite in the general election.

For Krishnamoorthi, the Senate race represents both opportunity and risk. While he climbed the ranks of various committees in the House, including serving as the top Democrat on the House select committee on U.S.-China competition, he had to give up his House seat to be on the ballot for the Senate, according to NBC News.

His launch video included fierce criticisms of President Trump, calling him a “convicted felon” who has tapped “billionaires like Elon Musk” to exploit Americans to boost their own “egos and personal profit,” according to NBC News.

He told NBC News the “economic chaos” of Trump’s first 100 days persuaded him to run for Sen. Durbin’s seat, pitching himself as the best candidate to revive the American dream.

This story was aggregated by AI from several news reports and edited by American Kahani’s News Desk.