Krishnamoorthi is known for his record of being hawkish on the Chinese Communist Party.
Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.) announced on May 7 he is running for Senate to succeed Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.).
In a campaign video, Krishnamoorthi said he is running for Senate “to restore women’s freedom to make their own health decisions, to keep guns away from people who shouldn’t have them, to keep these extremists from gutting vital programs like Medicaid that help people, and to stop the chaos driving up costs.”
He has represented Illinois’ 8th Congressional District since Jan. 3, 2017, succeeding Tammy Duckworth, who is in the Senate.
In his video, Krishnamoorthi called for fighting against President Donald Trump and his administration.
He accused the administration of “threatening our rights,” “wrecking the economy,” and profiting at the expense of working people.
“I spent my life standing up to bullies, fighting for everyday people,” he said.
Krishnamoorthi is the ranking member of the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party. He has a record of being hawkish on China, the official name of which is the People’s Republic of China (PRC).
In March, Krishnamoorthi called for the Trump administration “to strengthen enforcement against the PRC’s unlawful trade practices, including by criminally prosecuting trade criminals, stepping up civil enforcement, and self-initiating a Section 301 investigation into PRC transshipment schemes.”
In an April 29 letter to Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary, Krishnamoorthi wrote: “U.S. and European airlines should not be even contemplating the future purchase of airplanes from Chinese military companies.”
Krishnamoorthi joins a competitive Democratic primary field that includes Illinois Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton and Rep. Robin Kelly (D-Ill.).
Stratton, who is endorsed by Gov. J.B. Pritzker, entered the race on April 24.
“In Washington, they’re still doing the same old things they’ve always done, and that old playbook isn’t working,” she said in an announcement video.
“Typical isn’t what we need right now.”
Kelly, who has represented Illinois’ 2nd Congressional District since January 2013, announced her run on May 6. In a video, she called herself an “underdog.”
On the GOP side, former police officer John Goodman and businessman and educator R. Cary Capparelli are running.
“The decision of whether to run for re-election has not been easy. I truly love the job of being a United States senator. But in my heart, I know it’s time to pass the torch,” he said in a video posted on social media platform X.
“The challenges facing our country are historic and unprecedented. The threats to our democracy and our way of life are very real and I can assure you, I’ll do everything in my power to fight for Illinois and the future of our country every day of my remaining time in the Senate.”