As Stratton airs ad with anti-Trump expletive, Krishnamoorthi launches first negative TV ad attacking her

As Juliana Stratton runs a campaign ad uttering the words "F*** Trump, her U.S. Senate rival U.S. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi is airing the first negative TV ad targeting the lieutenant governor.

The final weeks of a heated U.S. Senate race have proven to be feisty during live forums and debates, but a bit tamer on television — until now. Krishnamoorthi's foray into an attack ad is the first to go negative on television in the statewide race to replace retiring U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin. And it comes as Stratton airs her first TV ad — and a pro-Stratton super PAC with $5 million of Gov. JB Pritzker’s dollars being used to run pro-Stratton ads.

Krishnamoorthi's campaign framed it as a response to "six months of repeated attacks from Juliana Stratton."

The 30-second ad cites a Sun-Times story that shows Stratton's history of receiving money from corporate owners and directors into her state campaign funds, despite her Senate campaign disavowing corporate PAC money. It claims Stratton took MAGA donor money, citing research from Krishnamoorthi's campaign. The Sun-Times reported Stratton received a $2,500 contribution from Union Pacific in September 2024 into her state campaign fund, which can’t be used for her Senate run. The corporate PAC helped fund the White House ballroom. U.S. Rep. Robin Kelly, another contender in the Democratic primary race for Durbin’s seat, also received contributions from PACs affiliated with the fund.

The ad also cites a CBS story that reported a Stratton super PAC received a six-figure donation from ICE contractor CoreCivic. That was in reference to the Democratic Lieutenant Governor's Association PAC, which has said they'll donate money to the National Immigration Law Center. It also mentions an error on the part of Illinois Future PAC, a super PAC created to support Stratton, which had to update an ad after Krishnamoorthi’s campaign noted it appeared to violate federal campaign finance law by failing to disclose that it was not authorized by Stratton or her campaign. The PAC quickly updated the ad.

"Juliana Stratton. Corporate and MAGA donations, ICE contractor money, accused of breaking federal laws," the ad's narrator says. "Hypocrisy we can't trust."

Stratton aired her first TV ad on Feb. 19, which features five people blankly stating, "F*** Trump," and details her support for abolishing ICE and to "hold Trump accountable for the crimes he's committed." Others join in on the expletive, including U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth, who has endorsed Stratton. Pritzker is also featured in the ad, but does not swear.

"Vote Juliana," Pritzker says.

The expletives are bleeped on television, but not online.

Stratton's campaign has aired negative digital ads targeting Krishnamoorthi since August, but not on television. Krishnamoorthi has raised more than $28 million in the race and has been airing ads since July. He had $15.2 million cash on hand at the end of December, according to the Federal Election Commission. Stratton had $1.1 million for the same time period, and Kelly had $1.59 million. Kelly is also airing TV ads for the final four weeks of the campaign.

Other Democrats vying for the race are Steve Botsford Jr., Sean Brown, Awisi A. Bustos, Jonathan Dean, Bryan Maxwell, Kevin Ryan and Christopher Swann.