Blue-state Democrat on fast track to Senate defies Schumer

This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. ©2026 FOX News Network, LLC. All rights reserved. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Market data provided by Factset. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Legal Statement. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by LSEG. Senate leaders Chuck Schumer and John Thune debated Thursday on the Senate floor over funding for the Department of Homeland Security. Illinois Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton is on a glide path to the U.S. Senate. But Stratton, who captured the Democratic Senate nomination in blue-leaning Illinois by winning Tuesday's primary, has made it clear that if she makes it to Capitol Hill, she won't be supporting Sen. Chuck Schumer, the Democrats' longtime leader in the chamber. "My position hasn't changed," Stratton told reporters on Wednesday, the morning after her primary victory. And Stratton — who if victorious in November would become only the fifth Black woman in the nation's history to win election to the Senate — is part of a sizable list of Democratic Senate candidates who are highlighting their opposition to Schumer continuing as the leader of their pa