Illinois Lieutenant Governor Juliana Stratton captured the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate on Tuesday, defeating Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi in a high-profile primary that drew heavy involvement from crypto political groups.
Why it matters
- Illinois’ Senate seat is rated “Solid Democratic” by the Cook Political Report, meaning the primary winner is heavily favored to win the general election in November and take office in 2027. With Stratton’s victory — backed by Governor J.B. Pritzker — she is now the likely next senator from the Prairie State.
The crypto angle
- Krishnamoorthi entered the race with nearly $10 million in support from crypto super-PAC Fairshake and other groups. Fairshake’s approach in the contest echoed its 2024 strategy: its ads focused more on attacking Stratton than directly promoting Krishnamoorthi.
- Stand With Crypto, a Coinbase-backed advocacy group that grades lawmakers on crypto friendliness, scored Stratton an “F.” That rating was based on a single comment she made criticizing her opponent’s backers as “MAGA-backed crypto bros,” and the group noted she has not voted on crypto legislation or issued broader statements on crypto policy. Krishnamoorthi received an “A” from the group based on his voting record and responses to the group’s questionnaire.
Other Fairshake activity and results in Illinois
- Fairshake spent aggressively in other Illinois races as well. It spent nearly $2 million opposing La Shawn Ford’s bid for the 7th District House seat, but Ford won his primary despite the PAC’s opposition.
- Three Fairshake-backed House candidates won their primaries Tuesday: Donna Miller (IL-2), Melissa Bean (IL-8) and Rep. Nikki Budzinski (IL-13).
- Follow the Crypto tallies show Fairshake spent roughly $800,000 opposing Roger Peters in IL-2 (where Peters finished a distant third as returns came in), about $560,000 supporting Bean in IL-8 via its Protect Progress affiliate, and under $84,000 supporting Budzinski in IL-13.
Fairshake response
- Geoff Vetter, a Fairshake spokesperson, said the PAC “congratulate[s] pro-crypto leaders like Donna Miller, Melissa Bean, and Rep. Nikki Budzinski,” adding, “We’re proud to take on tough fights at this critical moment for American innovation and consumers. Tonight, Illinois voters have elected more pro-crypto members of Congress and we are just getting started in our nationwide fight for American innovation.” Vetter did not immediately respond to requests for comment about the Senate race, the 7th District outcome, or Ford’s cease-and-desist alleging Fairshake ads were “defamatory,” according to the Forest Park Review.
What this could mean
- Stratton’s win caps a primary in which crypto-focused spending and targeted ad strategies played an outsized role. While Fairshake scored several House primary victories in Illinois, its heavy investment in the Senate contest did not propel its preferred Senate candidate to the nomination. The results show both the reach and the limits of crypto PAC influence in state-level primaries as the industry continues to invest in federal races.
Editor’s note: This story was updated March 18, 2026 to amend Fairshake’s reported spending in the Illinois Senate primary and to add the PAC’s statement and further details about races it supported.
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