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Juliana Stratton
American politician (born 1965) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Juliana Stratton (née Wiggins; born September 8, 1965) is an American lawyer and politician serving as the 48th lieutenant governor of Illinois since 2019. She won the 2018 and 2022 elections for the office on a ticket with JB Pritzker. She previously served as a Democratic member of the Illinois House of Representatives from 2017 to 2019. She is the first African-American woman to become Illinois's lieutenant governor.[1][a]
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In April 2025, Stratton announced her candidacy for the United States Senate in 2026.[2]
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Early life and education
Juliana Wiggins was born in Chicago on September 8, 1965.[3] She was raised in the Pill Hill neighborhood on the city's South Side. Her father, Jack Wiggins, was a radiologist and her mother, Velma Wiggins, was a teacher who worked in Chicago Public Schools and the City Colleges of Chicago.[4][5][6] She attended Kenwood Academy,[5] and earned a Bachelor of Science from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in 1987.[7][8] She returned to Chicago after graduating to work as a video producer for the city government.[4] She later attended law school and earned a Juris Doctor from DePaul University in 1992.[7][8]
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Early career
In 1997, after a stint in private practice as a lawyer, Stratton started her own consulting firm, JDS Mediation Services, focused on mediation and alternative dispute resolution.[9][4][8] She served as an arbitrator, legal hearing commissioner, and administrative law judge for several government agencies, including the City of Chicago's Department of Business Affairs & Consumer Protection, Office of Administrative Hearings, and Commission on Human Relations.[9][8]
From 2011 to 2014, she served as Executive Director of the Cook County Justice Advisory Council,[4][8] a body charged with coordinating and implementing criminal justice reform efforts for the Cook County Board President.[10] From 2015 to 2017, she was the Director for the Center for Public Safety and Justice at the University of Illinois at Chicago.[11][8] She was also a founding board member of the Chicago's Children's Advocacy Center and served on the Board of Directors of the Juvenile Protective Association.[9]
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Illinois House of Representatives
In 2016, Stratton challenged Ken Dunkin for the 5th district seat in the Illinois House of Representatives. Dunkin had faced criticism from fellow Democrats for holding out support on bills that would have reversed changes made by Republican Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner to social service programs.[12] Stratton received an endorsement from President Barack Obama,[13] as well as support from several unions due to her support for "child care, labor, and home care".[14]
In the primary election March 2016, she defeated Dunkin decisively, with 68% of the vote.[14] The race was one of the most expensive in the Illinois House, with a total of $6 million in contributions for the candidates.[9][15][16]
By August 2017, she had led 25 bills, with 9 appearing before Governor Bruce Rauner, and served on several committees.[14]
Lieutenant Governor of Illinois
On August 9, 2017, Stratton was announced as J. B. Pritzker's running mate in the 2018 gubernatorial election.[17] She cited early childhood education and women's reproductive rights as two of her priorities,[14] with criminal justice reform as another.[5]
As of November 7, 2018, she was elected to the position of Lieutenant Governor of Illinois with her and Pritzker defeating Republican incumbents Bruce Rauner and Evelyn Sanguinetti.[1] Accordingly, she resigned from the Illinois House of Representatives effective December 31, 2018.[18]
Since taking office, Stratton has spearheaded the Justice, Equity, and Opportunity Initiative and chairs the Illinois Council on Women and Girls, The Governor's Rural Affairs Council, the Military and Economic Development Council, and the Illinois River Coordinating Council.[19]
In July 2021, Pritzker and Stratton announced that they would both be running for re-election in 2022.[20] On November 8, 2022, Pritzker and Stratton won re-election, defeating Republican challengers Darren Bailey and Stephanie Trussell.[21] They began their second term on January 9, 2023.[22]
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2026 U.S. Senate candidacy
In April 2025, Stratton announced her candidacy for the U.S. Senate after incumbent Senator Dick Durbin announced he would not seek re-election.[23] She was endorsed by Pritzker[24] and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth.[25]
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.[26] She cites her hobby of running marathons and triathlons as giving her the discipline needed for the rigors of campaigning.[14] In Chicago, she is a member of the Chicago Bar Association and the city's chapter of Jack and Jill of America.[27] Stratton was among the first customers to purchase cannabis when Illinois began recreational sale of the drug on January 1, 2020.[28]
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See also
Notes
- The previous women to serve as lieutenant governor were Corinne Wood, Sheila Simon, and Evelyn Sanguinetti.
References
External links
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