April 8, 2025
In a potential four-way race, a three-way race, and after introducing each candidate’s biography, Representative Underwood stood above the rest to Illinois Democratic primary voters.
(Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) — A new poll commissioned by 314 Action Fund shows that Representative Lauren Underwood (IL-14), a nurse and public health expert, leads the Illinois Senate ballot in every test, should Senator Dick Durbin retire. In a potential four-way race, a three-way race, and after introducing each candidate’s biography, Representative Underwood stood above the rest to Illinois voters.
“Senator Dick Durbin has been an unrivaled champion for Illinois who has worked tirelessly to deliver for the state and has earned the right to decide what is best for himself, his family, and the future of the state,” said Erik Polyak, Managing Director of 314 Action. “Should he decide not to run for reelection, it’s clear Illinois is ready for a new generation of leadership and we are excited by the possibilities.”
Other key findings include:
- In the initial 4-way ballot, Representative Underwood and Representative Krishnamoorthi are statistically tied with 33% and 30%, respectively, followed by 16% for Lieutenant Governor Stratton and 10% for Representative Kelly. The remaining 10% are undecided.
- If Representative Kelly was not to run, Representative Underwood picks up the most of her voters, with 45% of her voters moving to Underwood.
- In the 3-way ballot, Representative Underwood leads by 7 points – 39% to 32% for Krishnamoorthi, and 19% for Stratton.
- After providing voters with more information about each of the candidates, pulling from bio information each candidate has used, Representative Underwood extends her lead in the 4-way ballot, with 42% of the vote, followed by Representative. Krishnamoorthi at 25%, Stratton at 19%, 9% supporting Kelly, and 4% are undecided.
- Representative Underwood has the highest name ID of the field – 77% of primary voters identify her by name, 57% know her well enough to offer an opinion of her, and those opinions are almost entirely positive – 53% favorable, 4% unfavorable, 20% neutral.
This poll surveyed 773 likely 2026 Democratic primary voters in Illinois from March 24-27, 2026. The margin of error, as traditionally calculated, is ±3.53% for the full sample.
314 Action Fund is the only national organization working to elect Democrats with backgrounds in science and medicine across all levels of government—from the Senate down to local school boards. The organization is powered by a grassroots community of over six million people supporting scientists, doctors, and STEM professionals who will use science and facts to address our most pressing issues like climate change and health care.
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