Capping weeks of speculation, Rep. Lauren Underwood on Monday said she won’t seek Sen. Dick Durbin’s Senate seat.
“When I reflected on the way that I could best serve families in Illinois and around the country, I really decided to stay in the House of Representatives and leadership and to help the DCCC (Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee) as we seek to reclaim the majority,” Underwood told CNN’s Kasie Hunt.
Underwood, 38, took office in 2019, representing Illinois’ 14th Congressional District. She serves in House leadership and as a member of the House Appropriations Committee. She also serves as DCCC Recruitment Co-Chair and will play a leading role in helping Democrats try to flip the house in next year’s elections.
Underwood would have joined an already crowded and competitive Democratic primary contest to succeed Durbin, who last month said he wouldn’t seek another term. Reps. Raja Krishnamoorthi and Robin Kelly and Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton have already declared candidacy.
Krishnamoorthi is by far the fundraising leader in the race, with $19.4 million cash on hand, according to FEC filings. Kelly has about $2 million cash on hand. Illinois Blue PAC, a super PAC in support of Stratton, was launched last week.
Underwood on CNN also addressed an unfavorable NBC Chicago report which claimed that Gov. JB Pritzker’s political aides were trying to stop her from running for the Senate seat and called her “damaged goods” to donors. Pritzker’s aides have called the report false. The Democratic governor quickly endorsed Stratton in the race.
“Well, I didn’t speak to the governor, and I don’t need to speak with him, but what I do know is that kind of ugliness has no place in our politics,” Underwood said. “You know, Illinois voters can’t be bought, right? And this is going to be a really rigorous, competitive election. And I think the voters are excited to have a choice.”
Underwood said, “absolutely not,” when Hunt asked whether Pritzker pushed her out of the Senate race.
“The work that we’re doing here in the House of Representatives is so important. When we get back in that House majority, that is how we’ll be able to stop the damage of Donald Trump’s agenda and make sure we’re protecting health care for the American people,” Underwood said.
As for Pritzker’s political future, Underwood said the governor is “very popular across our state.”
“He’s done a great job in standing up and fighting for Illinois families, and so he has to make a decision about what’s in terms of his future and he’s obviously up for reelection next year,” Underwood said. “And so we’re all just waiting to find out his plans.”