Illinois Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton talks fighting against Trump, Juneteenth with WCPT’s Richard Chew

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Last week, Illinois Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton (D) joined WCPT’s Richard Chew on “Chew’s Views” to talk about fighting President Donald Trump’s policies, her Senate campaign and the 160^th anniversary of Juneteenth.

Stratton spoke about her campaign for the U.S. Senate seat currently held by Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL), who announced in April that he would not seek a sixth term in office. Stratton, who was first elected as Illinois lieutenant governor in 2018 and re-elected in 2022, announced her Senate campaign just one day after Durbin’s announcement. The field of Democratic candidates has since grown to six, including two sitting members of Congress, Reps. Robin Kelly and Raja Krishnamoorthi.

“I launched my campaign for United States Senate because I saw a need,” Stratton told Chew. “And I believe that I’m the one to fill that need. And what that need is what I hear from people all across the state, when I’m traveling and asking them, what’s most important to you right now? What are you looking for from your leaders in Washington? And they say to me — they look me in the eye and say, ‘I’m looking for a fighter, someone who’s going to stand up for me, someone who’s going to fight back against this administration and defend our rights and deliver for us.’ And I am happy to be able to look them back in the eye and say, ‘I am that fighter.’ And I will continue to do what I have done for the last six and a half years as your lieutenant governor. I will keep fighting for the people of Illinois.”

The lieutenant governor touted what she and Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker have achieved together in office, citing their success in raising the minimum wage, passing “common-sense gun legislation,” and protecting the right to an abortion.

“We have done so much to uplift the communities of Illinois,” Stratton said, “and I’m really proud of the big coalition that I’m building right now all across the state, people who are joining my campaign because they are looking for a fighter. They’re looking for someone who knows how to deliver. And I look forward to bringing the blueprint of what we’ve done in Illinois to Washington, D.C.”

Turning her attention to what the Trump administration has been doing on immigration and access to health care, Stratton said it’s important that the opposition “mobilizes and protests and lifts up their voices and heads to the street to make it clear that we are not going to tolerate this. We’re not going to tolerate people being snatched off the streets and being stuffed into cars by masked people who don’t have any markings of any official capacity. We’re not going to tolerate them stripping away health care for millions of Americans. We’re not going to tolerate rolling back our fundamental rights, like we are seeing every single day.”

Below is the full transcript of the interview. (Please note: The transcript has been edited for clarity.)

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Richard Chew: This is Richard Chew with “Chew’s Views,” and we have the opportunity again to speak with our wonderful lieutena­nt governor, Juliana Stratton, here in the state of Illinois. And there is so much going on, as there always is, but I’m so proud to have the lieutenant governor with us again. She’s got a lot to talk about, but we’ve also got her limited schedule and busy schedule.

But thanks so much, Madame Lieutenant Governor, for being a part of a team, including Gov. Pritzker, that’s protecting Illinois residents and citizens. You guys have made it clear and unapologetically clear that you are making certain that the citizens and the voters of the state of Illinois are protected and feel a sense of safety and certainty with all that’s going on right now coming from the Trump administration. So thank you for that, as we start.

Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton: Well, thank you so much for having me, Richard. Always glad to talk to you, and thank you for saying that. Gov. Pritzker and I made it clear from day one that we would always stand for our people, and we would always fight for what’s right for the people of Illinois, and certainly right now, with the current climate and the chaos that we see coming out of the Donald Trump White House, it’s more important than ever that we continue to provide steady leadership, and it’s my honor to do so.

Richard Chew: Well, we’re also excited for you — since the last time we talked — and we had the WCPT anniversary, which you were so gracious as to call in and talk with us on — big changes have taken place. The big conversation right now is that you very quickly threw your hat in the ring, and that being for the Senate seat that’s going to be vacated by current Sen. Dick Durbin. What’s your life been like these last few weeks, since you made that announcement?

Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton: Well, it’s been exciting. Number one, I launched my campaign for United States Senate because I saw a need, and I believe that I’m the one to fill that need. And what that need is is what I hear from people all across the state, when I’m traveling and asking them, what’s most important to you right now? What are you looking for from your leaders in Washington? And they say to me — they look me in the eye and say, I’m looking for a fighter, someone who’s going to stand up for me, someone who’s going to fight back against this administration and defend our rights and deliver for us. And I am happy to be able to look them back in the eye and say, I am that fighter, and I will continue to do what I have done for the last six and a half years as your lieutenant governor. I will keep fighting for the people of Illinois.

And it’s not just that. It’s also delivering. I mean, look at what we’ve been able to do. I’ve been on this show a few times to talk about what we’ve accomplished here. Under the Pritzker-Stratton administration we raised the minimum wage. We passed common-sense gun legislation. We have protected the right to an abortion. We have done so much to uplift the communities of Illinois, and I’m really proud of the big coalition that I’m building right now, all across the state, people who are joining my campaign because they are looking for a fighter. They’re looking for someone who knows how to deliver, and I look forward to bringing the blueprint of what we’ve done in Illinois to Washington, D.C.

Richard Chew: And the country’s going to benefit from fighters like you and from Gov. Pritzker, who are not just not afraid but emboldened and encouraging by saying, this is what I stand for, this is what I will do, and this is what I won’t tolerate. And you’re out there doing this every day. And I get this from people that listen to my show and listen to our station: They want that so bad right now, lieutenant governor. I can’t even tell you how — I shouldn’t say this because you know this — how passionate people are right now about folks stepping up and fighting. And three very quick examples: Sen. [Alex] Padilla in California, Congresswoman [LaMonica] McIver in New Jersey, if I’ve got that right, and Comptroller [Brad] Lander in New York, all stepping to the mic, all saying, this is unacceptable what this administration is perpetrating on the United States of America. And so, what you’re saying about what your successes have been, those are documented and those are true, and people — not just in Illinois, I can assure you, but people across the country — want to see more of that from someone like you and so many other folks that are fighting.

Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton: Well, look, Richard, what we’re seeing right now is not normal, and we cannot normalize it. And it’s important not just that elected officials raise their voices, but everyone mobilizes and protests and lifts up their voices and heads to the street to make it clear that we are not going to tolerate this. We’re not going to tolerate people being snatched off the streets and being stuffed into cars by masked people who don’t have any markings of any official capacity. We’re not going to tolerate them stripping away health care for millions of Americans. We’re not going to tolerate rolling back our fundamental rights, like we are seeing every single day.

And what I want to just say is, not only are the people of Illinois demanding it, the people of Illinois are taking to the streets. I mean, we saw what happened on “No Kings” day recently, when millions of Americans took to the streets, including right here in Illinois. I happened to be in Rockford, where I think that they probably were anticipating a few hundred and we ended up with 2,000-plus in the street. I think the “Hands Off” protests that have been happening every weekend in not just big cities but small towns all across the state.

So you’re right. It’s not just those of us who are elected who are raising our voices. The people of Illinois are making it very clear this is the leadership that we’re looking for. We want people to fight just like we are in the streets, raising our voices. It’s time out for trying to go along to get along. We have to make sure that there’s real courage and leadership in Washington, D.C. And that’s what I intend to bring.

Richard Chew: Well, and you’re bringing it now. And I think this is one of the reasons why your campaign is and will continue to be such a strong one, because you have delivered. And obviously it’s been a team effort between you and Gov. Pritzker and other statewide officials, which is what you bring to the table. You won statewide election more than once, and I think that’s one of the reasons why you’re going to stand head and shoulders — and it’s not knocking anybody else that’s running, because the great thing about what’s happening with this transition is that we have a fantastic bench.

We have been labeled as not having anybody waiting in the wings, and maybe there’s some folks that have stayed longer than necessary. I won’t say too long but longer than necessary in this environment. But we’ve got a great bench. Representative Robin Kelly is a great — she’s a great leader, and others that are stepping to the races in terms of the congressional races. All of them are great leaders. All of you guys are. And that’s one of the things that I just keep repeating. And I have a smile on my face when I hear you guys talk, because I say, you know what? Our folks are leading here in Illinois — you, Mayor Johnson, and the list goes on. So that’s something that I hope everybody remains excited about with this upcoming race.

Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton: Yes. It’s a great example of how democracy works. As we yelled in the street at the “No Kings” march, this is what democracy looks like. And we see the Trump administration and MAGA extremists who are trying to roll back all the progress and what we’ve done to protect democracy. They’re trying to roll back voting rights.

Look, I think about myself as someone who’s not the typical politician. I didn’t have a plan early on in my life that this is where I would end up. I saw a need, and I knew that I needed to step up to meet that need, and that’s how I ran for state rep. You may recall the story that I was caring for my mom. I was her primary caregiver. She had Alzheimer’s. And it was hard because I cared for her while being a working mom, had my own career, plus I was a mom to daughters, three at the time, and I just think about how hard it was when [then-Gov.] Bruce Rauner and my former state rep tried to cut senior services and health care for seniors like my mom. And I was angry. I stepped up because I said, you know what? This is unacceptable that you would strip away health care from our most vulnerable.

That was 10 years ago, Richard. Here we are, in 2025. I’ve lost my mother since then, and here we are in 2025 and the Trump administration, MAGA extremists and congressional Republicans are once again stripping away health care from millions and millions of Americans, including 3.4 million Illinoisans who are on Medicaid, who are at risk of losing, potentially losing their health care coverage. That includes 1.5 million children in Illinois, and not to mention all of the people that are employed by hospitals, over 400,000 Illinoisans who are employed by hospitals and health care systems. This is an example of the kind of reckless damage that is happening through the chaos coming out of the White House. We need somebody going to be a stopgap, who’s willing to jump into the ring and go to the mat fighting for the people of Illinois, and that’s what I’m going to do as the next United States senator.

Richard Chew: I oftentimes use a phrase, standing in the void, standing in the doorway, and that’s exactly what is needed right now.

Ask you a couple quick questions, as we keep moving forward and try to stay on point. It’s Juneteenth. Happy Juneteenth is the phrase. And what does Juneteenth personally and, I’ll say, professionally mean to you? And what has it meant to you over the years?

Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton: Well, we know Juneteenth is also known as Freedom Day. And what I think about a lot on a day like today is I think about my ancestors, William and Daniel Stevens, who — my great, great grandfather, who’s William, who was enslaved, and when the Emancipation Proclamation went through, was signed, and then, of course, we know that Juneteenth is because everybody didn’t know that they were free until that message got to Galveston, Texas.

But I think about my ancestors who took a plot of land that was given to them by the man who owned them, and they took that land, and they farmed that land and they fed their community, and they built a church because they knew faith was important, and they built a store and a school because they knew education was important and economic progress was important. And now we see, generations later, their descendant, me, this Black woman on the South Side of Chicago who is the first Black lieutenant governor of the state of Illinois and now running to be the next United States senator for the great state of Illinois — the state, by the way, of Abraham Lincoln, who signed that Emancipation Proclamation. Just think about that narrative and what’s possible when we really focus on serving our communities the way my great, great grandfather did.

That’s the legacy that I have inside of me. It’s the legacy of my mother, who was a public school teacher, came from a union household, who taught adult literacy to adults who had never learned how to read. That’s the gift that I’ve taken from my father, who was a Navy veteran who faced discrimination in his own efforts to serve our country, but who also was a physician in community hospitals, safety net hospitals like Roseland and Saint Bernard and Provident on the South Side of Chicago, because he understood that access to quality health care for everyone, regardless of your zip code, is so important. That’s what’s inside of me, and that’s what drives me every day, to care for not just my family but to care for our community, to care for the people of Illinois in the way that they deserve.

And that’s why I do what I do. And Juneteenth, to me, means always honor that legacy and recognize that there’s still much more work to be done, but we have to also acknowledge the progress that we’ve made.

Richard Chew: I think that’s a big part of how we go forward. And as we go forward and we wrap up, Lieutenant Governor, again, I thank you for being with us. I look forward to having you back again in a few weeks. How can folks find you? How can they get involved, and let you have this last couple of moments just to wrap us up there?

Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton: Absolutely. Well, I look forward to people getting involved. They can certainly go to julianastratton.com and find out how to get engaged with my campaign, and of course follow me on social media. I look forward to continuing to engage with people, not just online, but I look forward to coming to your community and getting to know you personally, because all across this state, we have such fantastic communities, and people are raising their voices to your listeners. I look forward to meeting as many of you as I can and hopefully earning your support.

Richard Chew: Absolutely. Thank you, Lieutenant Governor Stratton, for being with us this morning, this afternoon, this day. Keep strong. We’ve got your back, and we want to keep pushing you and propping you up. So have a great rest of the day.

Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton: Thank you for having me.

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