Biography
Subramanian Raja Krishnamoorthi was born on July 19, 1973, in New Delhi, India, and moved to the United States as an infant when his father came to pursue graduate studies. He grew up in Peoria, Illinois, in a middle-class immigrant household that emphasized education. He earned a Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering from Princeton University in 1995 and a law degree from Harvard Law School in 2000. He worked as an attorney specializing in patent and technology law before entering public service, and served as a deputy treasurer of the state of Illinois under Alexi Giannoulias.
Krishnamoorthi ran unsuccessfully for Illinois Comptroller in 2010 and for the 8th Congressional District seat in 2012, losing in the Democratic primary. He won the primary in 2016 and was elected to Congress in November 2016, representing a suburban Chicago district that is among the most ethnically diverse in the Midwest — covering Schaumburg, Elk Grove Village, Hanover Park, and parts of DuPage and Cook counties. His district is home to large South Asian, East Asian, and Latino communities alongside traditional working-class white suburbs.
In Congress, Krishnamoorthi won assignment to the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, where he built a national profile on cybersecurity, Chinese technology threats, and election security. He was a prominent figure during the first Trump impeachment proceedings and became one of Congress's most recognized voices on TikTok and ByteDance data security risks. He announced his Senate candidacy in 2023, shortly after Dick Durbin's retirement announcement, positioning himself for a 2026 primary in a safely Democratic state.
- Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) represents Illinois's 8th Congressional District (Schaumburg/Elk Grove Village) — a D+7 suburban Chicago seat he has held since 2017, one of the most prominent South Asian members of Congress.
- He serves on the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party and is one of the committee's most active members — focusing on TikTok regulation, fentanyl supply chains, and Chinese investment in US technology.
- Krishnamoorthi is a former assistant Illinois attorney general and entrepreneur — his background in patent law and business shapes his focus on intellectual property, technology regulation, and pharmaceutical pricing.
- IL-8 is anchored by Chicago's western suburbs with a large Indian-American and South Asian diaspora community — one of the highest concentrations of Indian-American residents of any congressional district, which plays a role in his repeated large re-election margins.
Key Policy Areas
National Security & Intelligence
Krishnamoorthi's House Intelligence Committee work gave him deep expertise in cybersecurity, counterintelligence, and technology threats from adversarial states. He was an early and persistent critic of TikTok's ownership by ByteDance, pushing for divestiture on national security grounds — a position that gave him rare bipartisan credibility on a high-profile issue. His intelligence background is a key asset in his Senate campaign.
Technology & Innovation
With a mechanical engineering degree from Princeton and a background in patent law, Krishnamoorthi approaches technology policy with substantive fluency rare in Congress. He has worked on semiconductor supply chain security, AI governance, and data privacy. Illinois's tech ecosystem — centered on Chicago's growing tech sector and the suburban corridor's corporate headquarters — makes technology policy central to his economic message.
Suburban Chicago & Immigration
Krishnamoorthi represents one of the most diverse suburban districts in America, and his own immigrant story informs his approach to immigration polling, workforce development, and access to education. His district includes major logistics hubs (O'Hare airport corridor) and corporate campuses, making economic policy — particularly trade and manufacturing — central to his constituent work. He is a pragmatic moderate who has prioritized electability over ideological purity.
Dick Durbin’s Seat: Illinois Senate History 1997–2026
| Year | Democrat | Republican | D Margin | Context |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | Durbin | Al Salvi | D+8.2 | Durbin flips open seat; IL trending D |
| 2002 | Durbin | Jim Durkin | D+10.4 | Re-elected in mixed national environment |
| 2008 | Durbin | Steve Sauerberg | D+24.0 | Obama-year landslide; peak D performance |
| 2014 | Durbin | Jim Oberweis | D+10.4 | Held in R wave year; margin compressed |
| 2020 | Durbin | Mark Curran | D+16.5 | Final term; IL solidly D at federal level |
| 2026 | Krishnamoorthi (primary) | TBD | Safe D (D+10 to D+15 expected) | Open seat; primary is decisive contest |
2026 Illinois Senate Race
The Illinois Senate majority in 2026 is determined almost entirely by the Democratic primary, as Illinois has not elected a Republican to statewide federal office since 2010. Dick Durbin, who announced his retirement after six Senate terms, held the seat since 1997 and served as Senate Majority Whip. Filling his seat requires a candidate who can unite Chicago's Black political establishment, the suburbs (where the state's demographic center of gravity has shifted), Latino communities, and downstate interests.
Krishnamoorthi entered the race early and has built a national fundraising network, particularly among the Indian-American and technology sectors. He faces competition from other Illinois Democrats including Lieutenant Governor Juliana Stratton and potentially others. His suburban base, moderate positioning, and intelligence committee profile give him a formidable primary argument. If elected, he would be one of the first South Asian US senators and the first from Illinois of Indian descent.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is Raja Krishnamoorthi running for Senate in 2026?
Krishnamoorthi announced after Dick Durbin, Illinois's senior senator since 1997, said he would not seek a sixth term. Illinois is a safely Democratic state, making the primary effectively decisive. Krishnamoorthi is running on national security expertise from his Intelligence Committee work, a tech-forward economic vision, and the distinction of potentially being the first South Asian senator from Illinois.
What is Raja Krishnamoorthi's background?
Born in New Delhi and raised in Peoria, Illinois, Krishnamoorthi earned a mechanical engineering degree from Princeton and a law degree from Harvard. He practiced patent law, served as Illinois deputy treasurer, and was elected to Congress in 2016 representing a diverse western Chicago suburb district. His engineering background is unusual in Congress and informs his substantive engagement with technology policy.
What committees does Raja Krishnamoorthi serve on?
Krishnamoorthi serves on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence and the House Oversight and Accountability Committee. His Intelligence Committee work made him a national figure on cybersecurity, Chinese technology threats, and TikTok/ByteDance national security risks. He was one of the leading congressional voices pushing for TikTok divestiture legislation that ultimately passed in 2024.
Watch: Congressman Krishnamoorthi on Iran War Funding ICE and Redistricting
External resources: Raja Krishnamoorthi on Wikipedia — Raja Krishnamoorthi on Ballotpedia