Sun-Times, WBEZ and UChicago to host first live-broadcast debate for Democratic Senate candidates

The Chicago Sun-Times, WBEZ and University of Chicago will quiz the top Democratic candidates vying for retiring U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin’s seat Monday evening in a debate co-hosted by UChicago’s Institute of Politics and International House.

It marks the first live-broadcast showdown of the front-running contenders in the marquee race of the state’s March 17 primary election: U.S. Rep. Robin Kelly, D-Illinois; U.S. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, D-Illinois; and Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton.

The debate will be moderated by Sun-Times national political reporter Tina Sfondeles and Jennifer Steinhauer, senior director of the Institute of Politics, and hosted by WBEZ’s “In the Loop” host Sasha-Ann Simons.

The on-campus debate airs live from 6-7 p.m. on WBEZ 91.5 FM, with YouTube livestreams from the Sun-Times and the Institute of Politics, in addition to the radio station.

Durbin’s announcement last spring that he wouldn’t seek a sixth term kicked off a seismic shift in Illinois’ political landscape. About a third of the state’s congressional delegation are stepping down or seeking other offices.

That includes Krishnamoorthi, who led a WGN-TV/Emerson College poll earlier this month with 31% support over 10% for Stratton and 8% for Kelly. Still, almost half of respondents were undecided in the heavyweight Senate race.

Krishnamoorthi is also vastly outpacing the field in fundraising, with $18 million in his federal campaign fund as of last fall, compared to about $2 million for Kelly and $1 million for Stratton.

But Stratton has the support of her two-term running mate, billionaire Gov. JB Pritzker, who has close ties to a political action committee airing ads touting her progressive bonafides. U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth is also backing the lieutenant governor.

Meanwhile, the savvy south suburban Congresswoman Kelly can’t be counted out as the candidates try to position themselves as the top fighter against Trump administration policies. Kelly filed articles of impeachment against Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem in the wake of the enhanced immigration enforcement in Chicago and Minneapolis.

Stratton and Kelly have made hay of the Sun-Times’ revelation that Krishnamoorthi’s lengthy list of campaign contributors included some supporters of President Donald Trump. Krishnamoorthi later donated $29,300 of those funds to immigrant rights groups.

The Sun-Times also raised questions about Stratton’s vow against accepting corporate PAC money for her campaign, despite a long history of such money being deposited into her state campaign funds.

The candidates will make opening and closing statements, with two-minute response times for questions in between. They’ll get 30-second rebuttals at the discretion of moderators.

Also running for the Democratic nomination are Steve Botsford Jr., Sean Brown, Awisi A. Bustos, Jonathan Dean, Bryan Maxwell, Kevin Ryan and Christopher Swann.

Vying for the Republican nomination are R. Cary Capparelli, Casey Chlebek, Jeannie Evans, Pamela Denise Long, Jimmy Lee Tillman II and Don Tracy.

The live event at 1414 E. 59th St. is free to attend in person with registration, with seating on a first-come, first-served basis. Priority will be given to UChicago students.