Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi announces bid to succeed Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin
WASHINGTON - Illinois Democrat Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi announced on Wednesday he will be running for Senate, two weeks after Sen. Dick Durbin, 80, said he won’t seek reelection.
Krishnamoorthi is joining what is expected to be a crowded Democratic primary for Durbin’s seat. Rep. Robin Kelly and Illinois Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton, who was endorsed by Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker and Sen. Tammy Duckworth, have also announced their candidacies.
In a video shared on Wednesday, Krishnamoorthi inveighed against President Donald Trump, claiming that he is “ignoring the Constitution, out for revenge” and “acting like a dictator.”
“People want to know. At this moment, in this time, where is the power to fight back? What does it look like?” he said in the video. “Well I’ll tell you. It looks like you and you and you. All of us, ready to stand up and fight back. I spent my life standing up to bullies, fighting for everyday people.”
Krishnamoorthi was elected to the House in 2016, succeeding Duckworth who had been elected to the Senate that year. He is in his fourth term representing Illinois’ eighth congressional district, which covers Chicago’s west and northwest suburbs, according to his website.
He is one of the six Indian Americans, all of whom are Democrats, in the House. Krishnamoorthi would be the 10th Asian American in the Senate and only the second senator with South Asian ancestry. If Kelly or Stratton were elected, they would be the 15th Black senator in U.S. history.
Krishnamoorthi said in the video that growing up, his parents had to use food stamps and public housing to get by. He got through college and law school through loans and scholarships, he added.
“i've made it my mission to fight for families like the ones I grew up with people who just want a chance to work hard and realize their dreams…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,” he said.
Whoever wins the Democratic primary will be heavily favored to win the general election in the reliably Democratic state. No Republicans have entered the race yet.
Krishnamoorthi will make his first official campaign stops in Peoria, Chicago and Schaumburg, according to a news release.