Rep. Robin Kelly (D-Ill.) has benefitted from more than $2.5 million in positive advertising as she competes in a three-way Democratic primary for Illinois’ open Senate seat.
Roughly half of that spend is on ads Kelly is airing herself, per AdImpact. The other half comes from a trio of groups that appear to be trying to elect her opponent, Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.).
The central question ahead of Tuesday’s Senate primary is whether the presence of two Black women on the ballot, Kelly and Illinois Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton, will open up a path for Krishnamoorthi to win the nomination.
Pro-Krishnamoorthi groups have played a role in exploiting this dynamic. The super PACs are boosting Kelly, using footage of former President Barack Obama praising her or touting her progressive bona fides, in what seems likely to be a ploy to siphon support away from Stratton.
“It is a deliberate attempt to split the Black vote. And the only beneficiary of that in the U.S. Senate race would be Congressman Krishnamoorthi,” Illinois Legislative Black Caucus Senate Chair Willie Preston said. “It’s disgusting and I think it’s something that has to be called out publicly.”
The strategy. Polls have shown a tight race between Stratton and Krishnamoorthi. Stratton supporters have cast Kelly as a spoiler polling in a distant third.
But Kelly is well-liked and has the backing of the powerful Congressional Black Caucus, which has bristled at what it sees as a coronation of Stratton.
Krishnamoorthi has spent some $29 million on ads, per AdImpact, giving him an early advantage. But Stratton has surged thanks to a large infusion of cash from an allied super PAC funded by billionaire Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker.
Now consider this spending: Protect Progress, part of the pro-crypto Fairshake network, has dropped $435,000 on ads that boost Kelly or Krishnamoorthi and attack Stratton.
Those ads, at least some of which are running on Black radio stations, use audio of Obama praising Kelly and note she is a “real progressive” endorsed by the CBC.
The Impact Fund, a group that typically backs Indian-American candidates, has spent roughly $1 million on similar ads. Progressive Values Illinois, a group backing Krishnamoorthi, has spent nearly $600,000 on mailers that urge voters to back Kelly or Krishnamoorthi over Stratton, per FEC data.
The likely result: lower Stratton’s vote share by boosting Kelly.
Even Kelly admitted she knew the spending wasn’t designed to help her.
“Congressman Krishnamoorthi and his allies are resorting to cheap political plays in an attempt to split the vote, dilute Black political power, and save his stalled and uninspiring campaign,” Allison Janowski, a Stratton spokesperson said.
Krishnamoorthi has repeatedly said he doesn’t have “any coordination or control over” the groups, per federal law.
