Stratton wins Illinois Senate primary, defeating crypto-backed Krishnamoorthi

Policy Share Share this article Copy link X icon X (Twitter) LinkedIn Facebook Email Stratton wins Illinois Senate primary, defeating crypto-backed Krishnamoorthi Lieutenant Governor Juliana Stratton is now likely to be the next Senator from Illinois, after defeating Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, who enjoyed major backing from crypto PAC Fairshake. By Nikhilesh De Mar 18, 2026, 3:03 a.m. Make us preferred on Google Illinois Lieutenant Governor Juliana Stratton is now poised to be the next Senator from the state. (Scott Olson/Getty Images) Illinois Lieutenant Governor Juliana Stratton is poised to become the next Senator from the state after winning the Democratic primary Tuesday night, defeating Representative Raja Krishnamoorthi. Krishnamoorthi had received north of $8 million in backing from crypto super-political action committee (PAC) Fairshake, among other entities, while Stratton was backed by Illinois Governor JB Pritzker. Illinois' senate seat is rated a "Solid Democratic" seat by Cook Political Report , meaning the winner of Tuesday's primary will most likely win the general election this November and represent the Prairie State in the Senate in 2027. Fairshake's ads largely attacked Stratton, rather than supporting Krishnamoorthi directly, a strategy it also employed in the 2024 election. The PAC typically supports candidates in primaries for races they're likely to win, letting it boast that the vast majority of its backed candidates won elections in 2024. Stand With Crypto, a Coinbase-backed group that assigns rates to lawmakers based on how crypto-friendly they are, gave Stratton an "F" ranking based on a single statement she made about her primary opponent receiving backing from "MAGA-backed crypto bros." The rating notes that she has not voted on any crypto bills or otherwise made statements about crypto generally. 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, won his primary race as well, according to the Associated Press. Fairshake spent nearly $2 million opposing Ford's race for the House of Representatives. Ford's team sent the PAC a cease-and-desist alleging Fairshake's ads were "defamatory," according to the Forest Park Review . A spokesperson for Fairshake did not immediately return a request for comment on either race, or on Ford's allegations. More For You Senator Tim Scott says market structure negotiations are advancing By Nikhilesh De | Edited by Stephen Alpher 5 hours ago The South Carolina Republican said he might see a draft of stablecoin yield language as soon as this week, and other issues continue to be negotiated. What to know : The stalled crypto market structure bill is making progress behind-the-scenes, according to Senator Tim Scott. "I believe that this week we will have the first proposal in my hands to take a look at," he said. Read full story Latest Crypto News Senator Tim Scott says market structure negotiations are advancing 5 hours ago Bitcoin's rally faces key hurdle with Wednesday's Fed meeting 6 hours ago U.S. SEC issues first-ever definitions for what crypto assets are securities 6 hours ago Mastercard's $1.8 billion deal 'a clear answer' to a massive shift in the global payment war 8 hours ago Arizona Attorney General files criminal charges against prediction market Kalshi 9 hours ago Facing a crisis, Bitcoin treasury companies need to pivot to survive 10 hours ago Top Stories Strategy’s latest massive bitcoin purchase offers insight into its evolving funding model 11 hours ago Sam Altman's World teams up with Coinbase to prove there is a real person behind every AI transaction 12 hours ago Popular Solana wallet Phantom wins CFTC nod to access regulated derivatives markets 11 hours ago U.S. Democrats target government officials gaming prediction markets on war action 13 hours ago 'Gensler and Biden were just better for crypto,' says Tally CEO as DAO governance platform shuts down 12 hours ago