Crypto Cash Fuels Democrats' Divide in Illinois Senate Race

"Krishnamoorthi, who has represented an urban-suburban Chicago district since 2016, built a large early fundraising advantage and then benefited from heavy spending by a crypto-industry super-PAC that has criticized his opponents. More recently, Stratton has caught up in both campaign spending and in the polls in part thanks to financial backing from a super-PAC created by her most important backer, two-term governor J.B. Pritzker."

"An early March poll commissioned by a pro-Krishnamoorthi group put him up 11 points over Stratton, with 15 percent of respondents undecided, as shared by Politico. But other results signal a potential surge for Stratton: A survey commissioned by the DLGA the same week showed Stratton leading the congressman by 2 points, with 25 percent of respondents undecided."

"But a third candidate, U.S. representative Raja Krishnamoorthi, was the early front-runner in the contest. Krishnamoorthi, who is Indian American, could still win, leaving Black Democrats in the state grumbling at each other for dividing forces."

Illinois faces a competitive U.S. Senate race following Dick Durbin's retirement. U.S. representative Raja Krishnamoorthi, who is Indian American, initially led with strong fundraising and crypto-industry super-PAC support. However, Illinois lieutenant governor Juliana Stratton has gained ground through backing from Governor J.B. Pritzker and Senator Tammy Duckworth. U.S. representative Robin Kelly, supported by the Congressional Black Caucus, trails significantly in fundraising and polling. The race reflects broader tensions within Illinois Democrats, as two Black women candidates could split votes while Krishnamoorthi potentially wins. Limited independent polling complicates determining the actual frontrunner, with conflicting surveys showing either candidate ahead.

Read at Intelligencer