Underwood Passes on Senate Run
Congresswoman Lauren Underwood (D-Naperville)
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Congresswoman Lauren Underwood (D-Naperville), a fourth-term rising star in Democratic politics, announced Monday she will forego a race for United States Senate and will seek re-election to the House in 2026.
Underwood, a nurse, who won an upset victory for the House in 2018, had been weighing a campaign to replace Senator Dick Durbin, who announced last month he would not seek re-election next year.
“Donald Trump and his Administration are renewing their attacks on health care by trying to slash Medicaid and undo all the progress we've made, which would have deadly consequences for working families across the country,” Underwood said in a statement. “Our work is not done, and I’ve decided the most powerful way for me to defend our values and hold Donald Trump accountable is to help Democrats win back the House.”
Underwood, 38, would have been the youngest candidate in the race and would have been the third progressive African American woman in the race, which many Democratic insiders opined could have narrowed her lane to win the primary.
There have been behind the scenes accusations that Gov. JB Pritzker’s team had “bullied” Underwood to stay out of the race, an accusation Pritzker’s staff denies. He is supporting Lt. Governor Juliana Stratton for the seat.
