By Richard Cowan
WASHINGTON, March 17 (Reuters) – Illinois’ Democratic primary election on Tuesday will test progressives’ power and give voters an opportunity to elect a new generation of lawmakers, as U.S. Senator Dick Durbin and two other longtime members of the state’s congressional delegation retire.
There are 11 Democratic candidates vying to succeed the 81-year-old Durbin, whose departure, along with the retirements of other lawmakers, has triggered a wave of competitive Democratic House primaries in the state on Tuesday.
Illinois is a heavily Democratic state and none of its races are expected to be competitive in November’s midterm elections, when President Donald Trump’s Republicans will be trying to defend their congressional majorities.
With Trump’s approval rating hovering at 39% according to the most recent Reuters/Ipsos opinion poll, Democrats have turned in solid election performances over the past few months, including winning the governorship of Virginia, holding on for a runoff in a heavily Trump-leaning Georgia district and picking a more moderate nominee for U.S. Senate in Texas.
PROGRESSIVES AND MODERATES
Progressive voters are expected to play an important role in the Democratic primary, which features current U.S. Representatives Raja Krishnamoorthi, 52, and Robin Kelly, 69, and Illinois Lieutenant Governor Juliana Stratton, 60.
The mass arrests of immigrants as part of the Trump administration’s deportation program and the resulting protests in Chicago have factored heavily in the campaign.
Stratton has staked out the most progressive position of the leading contenders, calling for abolishing the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency, saying, “ICE cannot be reformed.”
Kelly in January introduced an impeachment resolution against former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, who oversaw ICE until Trump fired her on March 5. Krishnamoorthi wants to fire “Trump’s ICE” and not necessarily shutter the agency forever.
Former Illinois Republican Party chairman Don Tracy is considered a top contender out of several candidates running in the Republican Senate primary.
The Democratic primary could be close, said Laurel Harbridge-Yong, a Northwestern University political science professor.
“The three (leading) candidates all have served in elective office, are strong candidates by many kinds of metrics; there’s quite a mix of endorsements” among the candidates, she said.
Republicans currently hold a 53-47 Senate majority and a 218-214 House majority with three vacancies. Incumbent presidents’ parties typically lose seats in midterms; election analysts say Democrats have a good chance of winning control of the House, but a tougher road in the Senate.
HOUSE MATCHUPS
A slew of Democratic and Republican candidates are competing to win party nominations to succeed retiring Representatives Danny Davis, 84, and Jan Schakowsky, 81. Both Democrats represent reliably left-leaning Chicago-area districts.
There are notable primary races in three other open House seats, including Krishnamoorthi’s and Kelly’s, as they look to jump to the Senate.
Krishnamoorthi was born in India and came to the U.S. as a child. He has served nearly a decade in the House.
He surpasses his opponents in campaign fundraising, with cash on hand of $6.6 million after raising more than $30 million. A member of the House’s New Democrat Coalition, a group of moderate House Democrats, Krishnamoorthi backs raising the federal minimum wage to $17 per hour over five years.
He has pushed for expanding the federal Medicare health insurance program for older adults, including allowing people as young as 50 to buy into the program.
Stratton and Kelly are banking on appeals to progressive voters with calls for a single-payer, “Medicare for all” federal health insurance program.
Stratton was endorsed by Democratic Governor J.B. Pritzker, who features prominently in her campaign ads. She favors raising the $7.25 federal minimum wage to $25 per hour, while her two opponents have settled on $17.
Her campaign has raised $4 million and has $1.3 million cash on hand.
Kelly has served in the House since 2013 and says her Chicago-area district encompassing urban, suburban and rural voters has given her experience in dealing with a variety of constituent concerns.
She has raised $3.3 million and her campaign has nearly $721,000 in cash, according to Federal Election Commission data.
(Reporting by Richard Cowan; Editing by Scott Malone and David Gaffen)
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