Juliana Stratton is the Lieutenant Governor of Illinois, having assumed office on January 14, 2019, with her current term ending on January 11, 2027. She earned a bachelor's degree in broadcast journalism from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 1987 and a J.D. from DePaul University College of Law in 1992. Her career experience includes serving as the executive director of Cook County Justice for Children and the Cook County Justice Advisory Council. She was the founder and president of JDS Mediation Services, Inc. and taught conflict management and negotiation skills at Loyola University Chicago. Stratton, born and raised on Chicago's South Side, was a lawyer before winning a state House seat in 2016. Pritzker tapped her to join him on the Democratic ticket in 2018, and she has served as his lieutenant governor for the past eight years.
Stratton is a first-generation politician who worked as a lawyer and mediator before entering state politics. She is the first African-American woman to serve as Lieutenant Governor of Illinois. She has focused her career on social justice issues, having directed Cook County Justice for Children and founded a mediation services company. She is married with four daughters and lives in the Bronzeville neighborhood of Chicago.
Abolish ICE and restructure immigration enforcement
Stratton's campaign countered that she backs border security and deporting violent offenders, but accused Trump of targeting immigrant communities more broadly. The campaign stated that "Juliana believes ICE should be abolished and we need to overhaul our entire immigration system to move away from punitive enforcement and create real pathways for legal citizenship, including for Dreamers and DACA recipients."
Voting History: Not applicable - state-level official
Support Medicare for All
We must act and ensure every single American has access to the healthcare they deserve.
Voting History: Not applicable - state-level official
Address inflation and rising costs through government intervention
Alongside Governor Pritzker, I've helped bring down costs, ensure workers are paid fairly, eliminate the grocery tax, raise the minimum wage, relieve medical debt, and lower prescription drug prices. On the federal level, I'll fight for a $25 minimum wage, Medicare for All, and a tax cut for the middle class.
Voting History: Not applicable - state-level official
Not applicable - Stratton has served as Lieutenant Governor of Illinois and previously in the Illinois House of Representatives, not in Congress. She does not have a federal voting record.
Stratton's official campaign messaging is combative toward Trump and Republicans, emphasizing a 'fighter' persona. This tone is consistent with her advertisement strategy and debate performances.
Anti-Trump ad featuring citizens saying profane statements about Trump
Juliana Stratton's Senate campaign featured an ad called "They Said It" that began with one Chicagoan saying "F— Trump," then another, then four more — including Democratic Sen. Tammy Duckworth.
View post →Stratton is an 'open borders advocate'
Tracy is calling her soft on welfare reform and immigration, saying on Paris Schutz's Chicago Report that "Miss Stratton is an open borders advocate, meaning that she is probably opposed to any and all deportations, except maybe a few exceptions."
Stratton won't stand up to Trump
Meanwhile, Stratton is casting Tracy as a presidential puppet whose policies the former Illinois GOP leader will have to carefully navigate in a blue state.