In Final Debate, Senate Democratic Candidates Oppose Iran War
Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Schaumburg) shakes hands with Congresswoman Robin Kelly (D-Lynwood) before the start of Monday’s televised debate on WTTW-TV in Chicago. Lt. Governor Juliana Stratton talk to moderator Brandis Friedman. (Photo: Chicago Tribune)
In their final face off on camera before next week’s general election, the three major Democratic candidates for U.S. Senate took aim more at Donald Trump’s military action in Iran and less at each other.
It comes after the campaigns of Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Schaumburg) and Lt. Governor Juliana Stratton, who is also backed by a dark-money Super PAC funded by Gov. JB Pritzker, fill the airwaves with attack ads in the final weeks of the campaign.
Krishnamoorthi, Stratton, and Congresswoman Robin Kelly (D-Lynwood) sat for an hour long debate on Chicago public television station WTTW’s “Chicago Tonight” program Monday.
The candidates were all critical of the U.S. military attacks on Iran.
“There’s no strategy. There’s no clear objective. [Trump] said it was regime change. The regime is not changing. There’s no timeline. There’s no exit strategy either. And the costs are rising,” said Krishnamoorthi. “Seven servicemen and women have died, and we see at the gas pump, the price of gas has gone up by more than 50 cents.”
Kelly, who, like Krishnamoorthi, voted for a resolution in Washington last week attempting to limit the military action, said she would not support any further intervention in Iran.
“[Trump has] already spent $3.7 billion [in Iran],” Kelly said. “I would not vote for any more funding,” Kelly said.
“I do not believe this war is justified, and I would not vote to authorize additional supplemental funding for this war to continue,” Stratton said.
While both Kelly and Stratton ruled out supporting any more funding for military actions in Iran, Krishnamoorthi hedged.
Krishnamoorthi and Stratton continued to tussle about campaign donations and supporters who have had ties to Republicans or Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
You can watch video of the debate here.
