Illinois Rep. Krishnamoorthi jumps into crowded Democratic race for Senate

Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, D-Ill., has launched a bid to win a Senate seat held by longtime lawmaker Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., who announced in late April that he would not seek reelection.

Krishnamoorthi is joining an already crowded field that includes Rep. Robin Kelly, D-Ill., and Illinois Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton, who has the support of Gov. JB Pritzker and Sen. Tammy Duckworth. Rep. Lauren Underwood, D-Ill., is also reportedly considering a bid of her own. However, Krishnamoorthi enters the race with a sizable $19 million campaign war chest, according to Politico. 

U.S. Representative Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.) answers questions during a news conference about the recent Congressional delegation trip to the Indo-Pacific region, on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., in 2022. (REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein/File Photo)

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In an announcement video posted Tuesday on his campaign’s X account, Krishnamoorthi vowed to stand up to “bullies like Donald Trump and Elon Musk,” though the latter left the White House last week. The congressman portrayed the president as a leader who is “ignoring the Constitution” and is “out for revenge.”

President Donald Trump speaks at the White House in April. (AP/Alex Brandon)

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The congressman highlighted his family background as a first-generation American whose parents “were able to use food stamps and public housing to move us into the middle class.” He also referenced his close ties to former President Barack Obama, saying that he “showed that Illinois will give you a shot even when you have a funny name.” He then touted his A+ rating from the Planned Parenthood Action Fund and F rating from the National Rifle Association.

Representative Raja Krishnamoorthi, a Democrat from Illinois, questions witnesses during a House Intelligence Committee impeachment inquiry hearing in Washington, D.C., in 2019. (Jacquelyn Martin/AP Photo/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

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“I’ll never be quiet while billionaires like Elon Musk and a convicted felon deny the dreams of the next generation for their own egos and personal profit,” Krishnamoorthi said in the video. He also vowed to “make America work for working people.”

Krishnamoorthi was first elected to Congress in 2016 and currently serves as the ranking member of the Select Committee on the CCP. He is also the ranking member on the Oversight Committee’s Subcommittee on Health Care and Financial Services.