In the wake of the retirement of US Senator Dick Durbin, three candidates are vying to replace him in the March 17th Democratic primary election and the race is heating up. U.S. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, U.S. Rep. Robin Kelly and Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton are battling it out.
Raja had the early advantage having had raised over 18 million by last summer. He did not wait to put it to use and began blanketing the air waves with campaign ads starting last fall. This increased his name id substantially with a NY Times poll showing him with a double digit lead.
Now Kelly and Stratton are both working to catch up, doing their own ad buys.
At the first debate held last night, a common theme was standing up to President Donald J Trump. The POTUS has led a bill that stripped healthcare away from millions of working people, while extending heft tax breaks to billionaires. Trump also steered an unprecedented 20 billion dollars to expand the DHS budget, placing an ever growing number of immigration agents into the streets of blue cities.
At the debate, and through their ads, all three candidates vow to roll back the Trump excesses.
While there is still time, it remains to be seen if Stratton and Kelly are able to cut Raja’s name id advantage. In politics, it does not pay to wait.