It was January, just two months until Illinois’ Democratic Senate primary. And Quentin Fulks saw an important opening.
Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton and her two main rivals have all voiced opposition to the brutal operation of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement. But Stratton makes a sharp distinction; said he wants to get rid of ICE completely, while Reps. Raja Krishnamoorthi and Robin Kelly occupying separate positions.
Fulks, who headed a super PAC supporting Stratton, immediately aired a TV ad promoting Stratton as the only major candidate seeking to end ICE.
“We beat them to death on that issue,” he said. “The PAC went up first.”
Fulks knew from research how unpopular ICE was with Democrats in the state, especially after immigration officials created unrest throughout Chicago and its suburbs for months in the fall of 2025.
“For Juliana and the issues she was fighting for, that was a very powerful issue,” Fulks said in an interview. “We found in our research that that was a really big factor” in voter turnout.
Fulks, who led the Illinois Future PAC, the financial engine behind Stratton — with money from Gov. JB Pritzker – spoke with NBC News about the driving factors behind Stratton’s come-from-behind victory on March 17. Fulks also helped fuel Pritzker’s 2018 run for governor.
In the 2024 presidential campaign, Fulks served as deputy chief campaign manager for Kamala Harris. Fulks, who may be on the short list to run the Democratic primary campaign in 2028, reflected on what lessons for the next presidential race he took from Illinois’ high-profile race. He also talked about how the loss of 2024 weighs heavily on him.
“Given what Donald Trump is doing to the country right now, if we had won, that wouldn’t have happened to people, and you have to take a minute, catch your breath and get back out there and keep trying to make the world a better place,” Fulks said.
Stratton’s decisive win shocked pundits who had watched Krishnamoorthi lead the tournament for months. Krishnamoorthi began airing television ads last summer and spearheaded the fundraising campaign, which the pro-Stratton super PAC held until January.
Pritzker, a billionaire, has donated at least $5 million to the Illinois Future PAC, of late spent $14.8 million on advertising. Although it is a large amount, it still contributes to Krishnamoorthi’s spending.
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In January, Stratton trailed Krishnamoorthi by 21 points, according to one poll at the time. But that survey also showed that 46% of likely Democratic voters were undecided.
“There are times when you really need to start early and you can tell a great story, and then there are times when you might be able to start later or much later, and accomplish your goal,” Fulks said.
He added that he didn’t think the ads would have broken earlier, pointing to other political events that dominated the news — including high-profile special elections in Virginia and New Jersey — and the attention span of voters. Finally, Stratton finally stepped up at the right time.
Stratton’s position on ICE, which speaks of a willingness to take an aggressive stance against President Donald Trump and to advocate for a minimum wage of $25 an hour, has broken down, Fulks said. In the end, Stratton captured 40% of the vote, edging out Krishnamoorthi by seven percentage points, according to NBC News results.
An internal survey of the top PAC showed that Pritzker’s support had the effect of moving the needle with Illinois Democrats. A WGN/Emerson poll published in early January showed Pritzker holding an 82% approval rating with Illinois Democrats surveyed, while 90% disapproved of Trump.
“The main issues of the lieutenant governor’s investigation from a real perspective was his interaction and relationship with JB,” Fulks said.
Stratton immediately announced his candidacy last year after Sen. Dick Durbin announced his retirement; Pritzker quickly agreed. Fulks said voters didn’t listen until closer to the March election, allowing his super PAC to point out that Pritzker’s agenda is tied to Stratton and that the popular governor supports him.
Looking ahead, Fulks said the Senate race showed him that personality will play a big role as well as how a candidate communicates with voters.
“People want a combination of someone who is fighting for them, who is against Trump and who they can feel like they can just hang out with,” Fulks said.
Another takeaway: Candidates will have to campaign in “as many ways as possible,” from multiple events to sitting on podcasts that may not match their style.
“You will have to put the candidates in uncomfortable places so that they can communicate well,” he said.
