Illinois Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton is poised to become the state’s next senator after winning Tuesday night’s Democratic primary, defeating Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi.
Krishnamoorthi had received close to $10 million in backing from crypto-super political action committee (PAC) Fairshake, among others, while Stratton was backed by Illinois Governor JB Pritzker. The Illinois Senate seat is rated a “Solid Democratic” seat by the Cook Political Report, meaning the winner of Tuesday’s primary will most likely win the November general election and represent the prairie state in the Senate in 2027.
Fairshake’s ads largely attacked Stratton, rather than endorsing Krishnamoorthi directly, a strategy it also used in the 2024 election. The PAC typically backs candidates in primaries for races they are likely to win, and boasts that the vast majority of its endorsed candidates won elections in 2024.
Stand With Crypto, a Coinbase-backed group that awards lawmakers based on how crypto-friendly they are, gave Stratton an “F” rating based on a single statement she made that her primary opponent received support from “MAGA-backed crypto bros.” The rating notes that she has not voted on any crypto bills or otherwise made statements about crypto in general.
Krishnamoorthi received an “A” rating 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 spokesman for Fairshake did not immediately return a request for comment on either race or Ford’s allegations.
UPDATE (March 18, 2026, 03:08 UTC): Changes amount spent by Fairshake in Illinois Senate primary.
