How A Democratic Senate Candidate Leapfrogged Her Opponents And Surged To Victory

It was January, conscionable 2 months until Illinois' Democratic Senate primary. And Quentin Fulks saw a captious opening.

Lt. Gov Juliana Stratton and her 2 main rivals had each voiced guidance to nan fierce operations of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. But Stratton made a crisp distinction; she said she wanted to abolish ICE outright, while Reps. Raja Krishnamoorthi and Robin Kelly took much nuanced positions.

Fulks, who led nan main ace PAC backing Stratton, quickly aired a TV ad promoting Stratton arsenic nan only awesome campaigner seeking to get free of ICE.

“We hit them to nan punch connected that issue,” he said. “The PAC went up first.”

Fulks knew from investigation really wildly unpopular ICE was pinch Democrats successful nan state, peculiarly after migration enforcement officers wreaked havoc crossed Chicago and its suburbs for months successful nan autumn of 2025.

“For Juliana and nan issues she was championing, that was by acold nan astir potent issue,” Fulks said successful an interview. “We recovered successful our investigation that that was a really large factor” successful moving voters.

Fulks, who headed Illinois Future PAC, nan financial motor backing Stratton — pinch money from Gov. JB Pritzker — talked to NBC News astir nan driving factors contributing to Stratton’s come-from-behind win connected March 17. Fulks besides helped tally Pritzker's 2018 tally for governor.

In nan 2024 statesmanlike campaign, Fulks served arsenic Kamala Harris' main lawman run manager. Fulks, who is apt to beryllium connected nan short database to tally a awesome Democratic run successful 2028, reflected connected what lessons for nan adjacent statesmanlike title he took from nan high-profile Illinois race. He besides talked astir really 2024's nonaccomplishment weighs connected him.

"Given what Donald Trump is doing to nan state correct now, if we had won, that wouldn't beryllium happening to people, and you really person to return a minute, drawback a activity and past benignant of get backmost retired location and support trying to make nan world a amended place," Fulks said.

Stratton’s decisive triumph stunned immoderate pundits who watched Krishnamoorthi clasp a dependable lead successful nan title for months. Krishnamoorthi had begun airing tv ads nan erstwhile summertime and led successful fundraising, while nan awesome pro-Stratton ace PAC held disconnected until January.

Pritzker, a billionaire, donated astatine slightest $5 cardinal into Illinois Future PAC, which ultimately spent $14.8 cardinal connected ads. While a sizable sum, it still lagged Krishnamoorthi’s spending.

In January, Stratton trailed Krishnamoorthi by 21 points, according to one canvass at nan time. But that study besides showed 46% of imaginable Democratic voters were undecided.

“There are times wherever you perfectly request to commencement early and tin show a very bully story, and past location are times wherever you mightiness beryllium capable to commencement a small spot later aliases overmuch later, and still execute your goal,” Fulks said.

He added that he didn’t deliberation ads would person surgery done overmuch earlier, pointing to different governmental developments that dominated nan news — including high-profile typical elections successful Virginia and New Jersey — arsenic good arsenic voters' attraction span. In nan end, Stratton ended up surging astatine nan correct moment.

Stratton’s position connected ICE, communicating a willingness to return an fierce posture against President Donald Trump arsenic good arsenic advocating for a $25/hour minimum wage, collapsed through, Fulks said. In nan end, Stratton locked down 40% of nan vote, edging retired Krishnamoorthi by 7 percent points, according to NBC News results.

The ace PAC's soul investigation showed that having Pritzker's backing was influential successful moving nan needle pinch Illinois Democrats. A WGN/Emerson poll published successful early January showed Pritzker held an 82% support standing pinch Illinois Democrats surveyed, while 90% disapproved of Trump.

"The apical testing issues for nan lieutenant politician from a actual standpoint was her business and relation pinch JB," Fulks said.

Stratton had swiftly announced her candidacy past twelvemonth aft Sen. Dick Durbin announced he would retire; Pritzker quickly endorsed her. Fulks said voters didn't tune successful until person to nan March election, allowing his ace PAC to hammer location that Pritzker's schedule was linked to Stratton and that nan politician celebrated backed her.

Looking forward, Fulks said nan Senate title showed him that characteristic will apt play a large domiciled arsenic good arsenic really nan campaigner communicates to voters.

"Folks want a operation of personification that's fighting for them, that's opinionated up to Trump and that they besides consciousness for illustration they tin conscionable bent retired with," Fulks said.

Another takeaway: Candidates will person to run "in arsenic galore ways arsenic possible," from much staid situations to sitting pinch podcasters that mightiness not lucifer their style.

"You're going to person to put your candidates successful uncomfortable positions for them to beryllium capable to efficaciously communicate," he said.