Pro-Israel groups see mixed record in cash-strapped Illinois primaries | Election news

Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton, funded by pro-Israel donors, won the race to become the Democratic Senate candidate.

Illinois Lt. Governor Julianna Stratton has won the Democratic primary for an open United States Senate seat in a slate of closely watched races shaped by heavy spending from special interest groups including pro-Israel lobbying networks and the artificial intelligence industry.

Stratton’s victory Tuesday night was the highest-profile primary result, putting the right-to-work candidate on track to join the Senate in November.

With the endorsement of Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, Stratton defeated 10 other Democratic candidates vying for the party’s nomination, including US Representatives Raja Krishnamurthy and Robin Kelly.

He campaigned on the platform to raise the federal minimum wage to $25 an hour and called for the abolition of the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency, saying mass deportation efforts in the US sharply divide voters.

“Courage brings this fight right to Donald Trump’s door,” Stratton said after his win.

Dozens of groups aligned with the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), which lobbies for pro-Israel policies and legislation, funded Stratton, who supported Israel even though AIPAC did not campaign publicly.

Mixed results for AIPAC in House races

There were also crowded Democratic races for the four open Illinois seats in the US House of Representatives. Winners include Cook County Commissioner Donna Miller for the Second District, former U.S. Rep. Melissa Bean for the Eighth District, state Rep. Law Shawn Ford for the Seventh District and Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss for the Ninth District.

Pro-Israel lobby groups affiliated with AIPAC have spent millions to influence races, with mixed success.

Two candidates backed by AIPAC-aligned groups won their House races — Bean and Miller — but they took stands against two candidates — Law Shawn Ford and Biss.

The most stinging defeat for pro-Israel groups was in Illinois’ ninth district, where they spent more than $4m in support of state senator Laura Fine and nearly $1.4m to counter Bis.

“The Ninth District is not for sale,” Biss said in his victory speech.

Democrats are trying to focus their campaigns in November’s midterm elections on the cost of living in the US, arguing that Trump has failed to address concerns over the prices of groceries, energy, health care and childcare.

Republican President Trump’s approval rating has fallen, to 39 percent according to the latest Reuters/Ipsos poll, as Democrats have turned in solid electoral showings in the past few months.

Analysts say Democrats have the best chance of winning control of the House, where Republicans currently hold a 218-214 majority, in November. The race for the Senate, where Republicans hold a 53-47 majority, is expected to be tight.

If Democrats can flip both chambers, Trump’s domestic and foreign policy priorities will face new guardrails that have been absent so far in his second term in office, marked by his war on Iran, immigration crackdowns, war approaches to Latin America and a trade war.