Illinois Lt Gov Stratton wins Senate Democratic primary for Dick Durbin's seat

Illinois Lieutenant Governor Juliana Stratton on Tuesday won the Democratic Party primary to replace retiring U.S. Senator Dick Durbin, U.S. media projected, putting her in position to win the November election in this solidly Democratic state. Stratton, 60, defeated 10 other Democratic candidates vying for the nomination, including U.S. Representatives Raja Krishnamoorthi and Robin Kelly. Stratton was endorsed by Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker and was viewed as the most progressive of the top three candidates. She campaigned on a platform to increase the federal minimum wage to $25 per hour from $7.25, and backed the elimination of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency, which has conducted immigrant deportation efforts in Chicago and other major U.S. cities. If Stratton prevails in the fall general election, she would be the sixth Black person serving in the U.S. Senate when it convenes in January - a new record - assuming Senator Cory Booker of New Jersey is re-elected, as expected. Stratton's primary win was a victory for progressives but a political setback for the cryptocurrency industry, which finances a "super PAC" that supported Krishnamoorthi's campaign and is poised to distribute millions of dollars on behalf of an array of candidates this year. A spirited debate is underway in the U.S. Congress over the scope of regulation for the growing industry. For much of the primary election night, Stratton, 60, held a steady lead over Krishnamoorthi, 52, as she was outpacing her opponent in vote-heavy Cook County, which includes Chicago, AP results showed Tuesday night, with about 80% of votes counted. In the Illinois Republican contest for U.S. Senate, former state Republican Party Chairman Don Tracy was projected the winner. Besides testing progressives' power, the Illinois Democratic primary gave voters an opportunity to elect a new generation of lawmakers, as Durbin and two other longtime members of the state's congressional delegation retire. El...