Illinois Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton is poised to become the state’s next senator after winning the Democratic primary Tuesday night, defeating Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi.
Krishnamoorthi had received more than $8 million in backing from crypto super political action committee (PAC) Fairshake, among other entities, while Stratton had the backing of Illinois Governor JB Pritzker. The Illinois Senate seat is rated “solid Democratic” by Cook Political Report, meaning the winner of Tuesday’s primary will likely win the November general election and represent the Prairie State in the Senate in 2027.
Fairshake’s ads largely attacked Stratton, rather than directly supporting Krishnamoorthi, a strategy it also employed in the 2024 election. The PAC typically supports candidates in election primaries who are likely to win, allowing it to boast that the vast majority of endorsed candidates won the election in 2024.
Stand With Crypto, a Coinbase-backed group that assigns fees to lawmakers based on how crypto-friendly they are, gave Stratton an “F” rating based on a single statement he made about his primary opponent being endorsed by “MAGA-backed crypto bros.” The rating notes that she has not voted on any cryptocurrency bills or made any statements about cryptocurrencies in general.
Krishnamoorthi received an “A” grade based on his voting record and his responses to a questionnaire sent out by the group.
Another candidate Fairshake opposed, La Shawn Ford, also won his primary race, according to the Associated Press. Fairshake spent nearly $2 million opposing Ford’s run for the House of Representatives. Ford’s team sent the PAC a cease and desist alleging that Fairshake’s ads were “defamatory,” according to the Forest Park Review.
A Fairshake spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment on either race or Ford’s allegations.
