If Juliana Stratton wins, the Senate makes history | The Excerpt

On the Friday, September 18, 2026, episode of The Excerpt podcast: Illinois Lt. Governor Juliana Stratton could make history if she's elected to the U.S. Senate, but her campaign is also rooted in a deeply personal family story. USA TODAY Senior Reporter Jay Stahl joins The Excerpt to discuss how her father's experience with segregation, along with the loss of her father last year, continues to shape her candidacy to replace Sen. Dick Durbin.

Hit play on the player below to hear the podcast and follow along with the transcript beneath it. This transcript was automatically generated, and then edited for clarity in its current form. There may be some differences between the audio and the text.

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If Illinois Lieutenant Governor Juliana Stratton wins her US Senate bid this November, she won't just fill Dick Durbin's seat. She'll make history. USA TODAY Senior Reporter Jay Stahl decided to dig deeper into Stratton's story and the very personal story that's driving her campaign. This is USA TODAY's The Excerpt. I'm Dana Taylor. Jay Stahl joins me now to dig into this story. It's good to have you here, Jay.

Original source: https://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/