Is the Senate Race Finally Heating Up? Here's to Hoping
U.S. Senate candidates Congresswoman Robin Kelly (D-Lynwood), Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Schaumburg), and L. Governor Juliana Stratton before a Chicago Federation of Labor forum last month. (Photo: Chicago Tribune)
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OPINION
Let's face it.
Thus far, the Democratic U.S. Senate primary to replace outgoing Sen. Dick Durbin has been a bit of a…snoozer.
The three top tier candidates, Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Schaumburg), Congresswoman Robin Kelly (D-Lynwood), and Lt. Governor Juliana Stratton haven't really even been running against each other, they've been running against Donald Trump.
Krishnamoorthi was the last of the three major candidates to enter the race and has been the favorite from the jump. He was sitting on a $20 million war chest, has been unopposed on TV for months, and has generally been playing error-free ball. Neither Kelly or Stratton have aired a TV ad yet and they've had a hard time setting themselves apart from the field.
Polling has showed Krishnamoorthi in the lead, but there's been plenty of speculation his lead is driven solely by TV ads and may be a “mile wide and an inch deep.”
Now, Krishnamoorthi is facing his first mini-scandal of the campaign after revelations he accepted campaign donations from a handful of high profile Trump supporters and an ICE contractor.
Krishnamoorthi’s response to the mini scandal has been clunky, at best, ranging from defending the cash to eventually donating it to a pro-immigrant charity.
Stratton’s campaign has tried to capitalize on the issue through press release and social media, which doesn't really give them the traction they hope it will. The story hitting two weeks before Christmas doesn't help it stick with voters, either.
We have yet to see Gov. JB Pritzker come in with any major bucks for Stratton yet, which could be a lifeline for her campaign.
But if there's any indication from this issue, it's that the gloves may be about to come off in this race.
If it gets messy and ugly and bloody after the first of the year, you may want to pop some popcorn.
