Overview
- U.S. Reps. Raja Krishnamoorthi and Robin Kelly and Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton met Jan. 29 for a one-hour ABC7 debate cohosted by the League of Women Voters and Univision.
- On immigration enforcement, Stratton reiterated a call to abolish ICE, Krishnamoorthi urged ending what he called Trump’s ICE with broader DHS reforms, and Kelly pressed for a full department overhaul.
- Stratton and Kelly said they would refuse to confirm Trump’s Supreme Court nominees, while Krishnamoorthi backed intensive vetting and pledged to use blue-slip power to block judges he deems extreme.
- Policy contrasts extended to wages and tenure: Stratton proposed a $25 federal minimum wage, Krishnamoorthi and Kelly backed $17 as more passable, and Krishnamoorthi alone supported congressional term limits.
- Illinois Future PAC unveiled new pro-Stratton TV and digital ads, Kelly plans to start advertising next week, and FEC filings due Saturday could reveal the scale of Pritzker-aligned support; on the same day, Senate Democrats also struck a two-week DHS funding deal to negotiate guardrails on enforcement.