Illinois AFL-CIO Sitting Out U.S. Senate Primary
Democratic U.S. Senate candidates Congresswoman Robin Kelly (D-Lynwood), Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Schaumburg), and Lt. Governor Juliana Stratton at a labor town hall last month. (Photo: Chicago Tribune)
The Illinois AFL-CIO, one of the state’s most powerful labor unions, has declined to endorse in the U.S. Senate Democratic primary, a potential boost to the campaign of Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Schaumburg).
Neither Krishnamoorthi, Congresswoman Robin Kelly (D-Lynwood), or Lt. Governor Juliana Stratton, the top candidates in the race or any other candidates, received enough support in the endorsement process to get the AFL-CIO nod.
“Raja is swamping the other candidates in TV ads, so any way to keep other candidates from gaining momentum is a win for him,” said a veteran Democratic strategist who is not affiliated with any of the campaigns.
“We have a lot of friends with strong labor voting records in many of the districts. Others said they had worked with us in different capacities through the years. It’s kind of hard to choose a favorite when the fields are that strong,” AFL-CIO President Tim Drea told the Chicago Tribune after delegates voted in suburban Countryside. “We will be there for these (nominees) next fall, but for the primary, you know, we just had too many friends.”
The organization also took a pass on the primary for State Comptroller and the congressional primaries in the 2nd, 7th, and 8th districts. The union did endorse Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss in the 9th Congressional District.
