Juliana Stratton
Juliana Stratton (née Wiggins; born September 8, 1965) is an American politician and lawyer. Since 2019, she has been the 48th lieutenant governor of Illinois under Governor J. B. Pritzker. She is the first African-American woman ever elected to this office. Stratton is a member of the Democratic Party. She is currently the Democratic nominee for the United States Senate in the 2026 election. Stratton has been seen as a political progressive.[1]
Juliana Stratton | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Stratton in 2023 | |
| 48th Lieutenant Governor of Illinois | |
| Assumed office January 14, 2019 | |
| Governor | JB Pritzker |
| Preceded by | Evelyn Sanguinetti |
| 63rd Chair of the National Lieutenant Governors Association | |
| In office 2022–2023 | |
| Preceded by | Mike Foley |
| Succeeded by | Adam Gregg |
| Member of the Illinois House of Representatives from the 5th district | |
| In office January 11, 2017 – January 2, 2019 | |
| Preceded by | Kenneth Dunkin |
| Succeeded by | Lamont Robinson |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Juliana Wiggins 8 September 1965 (aged 60) Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse(s) | William Stratton
(div. 2016)Bryan Echols |
| Children | 4 |
| Education | |
Early life
Stratton was born to a schoolteacher mother and doctor father, and raised in the South Side of Chicago.[2] Stratton earned a Bachelor of Science from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign and a Juris Doctor from DePaul University.[3]
Political career
Before becoming lieutenant governor, Stratton served as a member of the Illinois House of Representatives from January 2017 to 2019. She represented the 5th district.[4]
On August 9, 2017, it was announced that Stratton would be J. B. Pritzker's running mate in the 2018 gubernatorial election.[5]
In April 2025, following U.S. Senator Dick Durbin's retirement announcement, Stratton announced her candidacy in the Democratic primary for the 2026 Senate election to replace him.[6] She won the Democratic nomination in March 2026, beating U.S. Representatives Raja Krishnamoorthi and Robin Kelly.[7]
Personal life
Stratton is married and is the mother of four daughters and lives in Bronzeville. She first married William Stratton, with whom she had three children; they divorced in 2016. She married Bryan Echols, who has one child.[8]
Stratton was among the first customers to purchase cannabis when Illinois began recreational sale of the drug on January 1, 2020.[9]
Juliana Stratton Media
Stratton with Pritzker in 2018
References
- ↑ Tribune (TNS), Rick Pearson and Dan Petrella-Chicago. Juliana Stratton takes progressive lane, only one who calls for abolishing ICE in Democratic US Senate debate (in en). Union-Bulletin (2026-01-26). Retrieved 2026-01-29.
- ↑ "Meet Juliana - JB Pritzker for Governor" (in en-US). JB Pritzker for Governor. October 1, 2017. https://www.jbpritzker.com/meetjuliana/. Retrieved November 7, 2018.
- ↑ "City Club of Chicago: J.B Pritzker & Juliana Stratton" (in en-US). WGN Radio - 720 AM. September 14, 2018. https://wgnradio.com/2018/09/14/city-club-of-chicago-j-b-pritzker-juliana-stratton/. Retrieved November 7, 2018.
- ↑ Cholke, Sam and Jamie Nesbitt Golden. Juliana Stratton Trounces Ken Dunkin In Battle With Madigan-Rauner Ties (March 15, 2016)DNAinfo.com. Retrieved November 7, 2016.
- ↑ Miller, Rich (August 9, 2017). Pritzker to pick Rep. Stratton. Springfield, Illinois. https://capitolfax.com/2017/08/09/pritzker-to-pick-rep-stratton/. Retrieved August 10, 2017.
- ↑ Sfondeles, Tina (April 24, 2025). "Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton becomes first major Democrat to launch Senate bid to replace Durbin" (in en). Chicago Sun-Times. https://chicago.suntimes.com/politics/2025/04/23/lt-gov-juliana-stratton-candidacy-us-senate-dick-durbin-seat. Retrieved April 24, 2025.
- ↑ Juliana Stratton Wins Democratic Primary for Senate in Deep-Blue Illinois (March 17, 2026)The New York Times. Retrieved March 17, 2026.
- ↑ Brack, Naomii. Juliana (Wiggins) Stratton (1965- ). Black Past (September 28, 2020). Retrieved July 2, 2025.
- ↑ Jaeger, Kyle (January 1, 2020). "Illinois Lieutenant Governor Buys Marijuana On State's First Day Of Legal Sales". Marijuana Moment. https://www.marijuanamoment.net/illinois-lieutenant-governor-buys-marijuana-on-states-first-day-of-legal-sales/. Retrieved January 7, 2020.
Other websites
Media related to Juliana Stratton at Wikimedia Commons
This short article about a person from the United States can be made longer. You can help Wikipedia by adding to it.