Stratton Victory Marks First Win for DLGA Program Launching Lt. Governors to Higher Office
DLGA Partnered with Illinois Future PAC, Invested Quarter of a Million in Direct Mail Reaching More Than 120,000 Illinoisans, and Funded Polling Showing Stratton’s Surge Going Into Election Night
WASHINGTON, DC – Illinois Lieutenant Governor Juliana Stratton won Illinois’ Democratic primary for U.S. Senate last night, marking the first major victory of the Democratic Lieutenant Governors Association (DGLA)’s program supporting Democratic Lt. Governors seeking higher office in the 2026 cycle. The DLGA is the only organization of its kind with a dedicated program to build a strong Democratic bench and support down ballot electeds running for statewide and federal office.
Unique to other party committees, the DLGA built an in-house direct mail program specifically for this race that integrated data targeting and production. This operation produced five direct mail pieces highlighting Lt. Gov. Stratton’s record of delivering for Illinois families and standing up to Donald Trump’s attacks on our opportunities, our healthcare, and our safety. The program reached more than 80,000 households, representing roughly 120,000 key voter targets across Illinois. With a direct mail investment of nearly $250,000, the DLGA delivered a program that would have cost more than $400,000 through an outside consulting firm. The DLGA’s direct mail program worked in partnership with Illinois Future PAC, who invested over $10M in reaching voters on the airwaves.
The DLGA was the only outside entity to accurately capture the trajectory of this race. While other organizations released frequent polling that misread the dynamics, surveys conducted by Public Policy Polling (PPP) consistently reflected Lt. Gov. Stratton’s movement from second place into the lead. These polls were not commissioned to shape a narrative. They were built to inform the DLGA’s data targeting operation. The cross-tab analysis directly guided our direct mail and messaging strategy, allowing us to more precisely reach persuasion-focused swing voters and turnout-focused base voters.
“Last night’s victory is the first of many for the DLGA as we work to elect our Democratic Lt. Governors to higher office in 2026,” said DLGA Executive Director Kevin Holst. “Even after being massively outspent, Lt. Gov. Stratton’s authenticity and strong leadership earned the trust of voters across Illinois, and built the momentum needed to win. Her victory reflects both the strength of her candidacy and the growing momentum behind Democratic Lt. Governors stepping up to serve in statewide and federal offices. With Juliana Stratton as the nominee, Democrats have a clear path to victory in November — and the DLGA is all-in to see it through.”
The DLGA is committed to building off last night’s win in 2026 by continuing to support Democratic Lt. Governors in their campaigns for higher office and helping Democrats win in 31 Lt. Governor elections across the country.