Juliana Stratton makes history with Black women in the Senate

Democrat Juliana Stratton won election Tuesday to the U.S. Senate representing Illinois, defeating Republican Don Tracy.

Currently lieutenant governor, Stratton will succeed Sen. Dick Durbin, a Democrat who is retiring after five terms.

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Stratton will be the second Black woman to serve Illinois in the Senate. She was twice elected lieutenant governor as Gov. JB Pritzker's running mate and had Pritzker's endorsement in a contentious Democratic Senate primary.

Stratton backs Medicare for All and is an outspoken critic of President Donald Trump, including his decision to deploy National Guard and federal immigration agents in Chicago. Tracy is a former Illinois Republican Party chairman.

Stratton's election marks the first time in history three Black women will be in office at the same time in the U.S. Senate. She'll join two other Black Democratic women — Sen. Lisa Blunt Rochester of Delaware and Sen. Angela Alsobrooks of Maryland, who were not up this election cycle.

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