U.S. Rep. Lauren Underwood announced on social media Monday that she will not enter the Democratic primary race to succeed retiring Dick Durbin in the U.S. Senate.
The four-term congresswoman from west suburban Naperville was the youngest Black woman ever elected to Congress in 2018 and has been viewed as a rising star in the party.
Underwood, 38, who worked in the Obama administration and was a nurse before entering politics, would have been the youngest of the high-profile candidates in the race to replace the 80-year-old Durbin.
But she also would have been the third member of the state’s Democratic delegation to make a bid for the seat, with Reps. Robin Kelly of south suburban Matteson and Raja Krishnamoorthi of northwest suburban Schaumburg already in the field. Two-term Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton of Chicago was the first to officially declare her candidacy and has the backing of Gov. JB Pritzker and the state’s other senator, Tammy Duckworth of Hoffman Estates.
Underwood said in her Monday statement that efforts by congressional Republicans to cut Medicaid were part of her motivation to seek another term in the House.
“Donald Trump and his administration are renewing their attacks on health care by trying to slash Medicaid and undo all the progress we’ve made, which would have deadly consequences for working families across the country,” Underwood said. “Our work is not done, and I’ve decided that the most powerful way for me to defend our values and to hold Donald Trump accountable is to help Democrats win back the House.”
Had Underwood opted to give up her seat to run for the Senate, her district could have been more competitive for a state GOP looking to pick up a fourth seat in the 17-member congressional delegation, though Underwood won the seat by more than 10 points last year and more than 8 points in 2022.
The 14th Congressional District runs from the Joliet area through parts of Naperville and Aurora to DeKalb and LaSalle counties.
