Former President Barack Obama endorsed Illinois Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton for the U.S. Senate on Monday, backing the Democrat in the race to succeed retiring Sen. Dick Durbin. “Juliana Stratton is a South Sider, a mother, a caregiver, and a fighter,” Obama said in a video released by Stratton’s campaign. He said he had been proud to support her first run for state representative and looked forward to voting for her as Illinois’ next senator. Stratton, who grew up on Chicago’s South Side, won the Democratic primary in March, defeating U.S. Reps. Raja Krishnamoorthi and Robin Kelly and eight other candidates. She faces former Illinois Republican Party chair Don Tracy and independent candidate Whitfield Harrington Jr. in the Nov. 3 general election. Obama endorsed Stratton’s 2016 state House campaign and campaigned alongside her and Gov. JB Pritzker in 2018. Stratton’s campaign said the two most recently saw each other at the June 18 dedication ceremony for the Obama Presidential Center. Obama is not expected to appear at a Stratton campaign event before Election Day. The endorsement comes as Obama steps up his involvement in the 2026 midterms. He has recorded at least two dozen ads for Democratic candidates for governor and Senate, with releases expected in the coming weeks, and is planning campaign stops in battleground states. His other Senate endorsements include Democrats Jon Ossoff of Georgia, Josh Turek of Iowa, Scott Colom of Mississippi and Troy Jackson of Maine. Obama’s message also praised Stratton for speaking out during Operation Midway Blitz. In January, Stratton joined Illinois Democrats calling for the abolition of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and she raised the issue at rallies and debates. Stratton has also been endorsed by Pritzker, Durbin, Sen. Tammy Duckworth and all 14 Democratic members of Illinois’ U.S. House delegation. Stratton and Tracy are scheduled to take part in a WTTW forum next week.