WASHINGTON - Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi is launching a campaign for the Illinois Senate to jump into a growing Democratic primary field with a coveted seat within a solid blue state.

He joined Gov. Juliana Stratton and Democratic Rep. Robin Kelly to take the evacuation of 80-year-old Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin, who has retired after four decades in Congress. Other Democrats are weighing the run.

Krishnamoorthi, 51, was first elected to the House of Representatives in 2016, representing a Democratic district near Chicago. He said he will enter the campaign Friday to stay in Peoria, Chicago and Schumbug.

His videos posted include fierce criticism of President Donald Trump, calling him a "convicted felon" who used "billionaires like Elon Musk" to use Americans to improve their "ego and personal profits." He articulated his “interesting name”, compared it to the name of former President Barack Obama, who once worked for him, and encouraged voters to simply call him “Raja.”

Asked in an interview what set him apart from his competitors, Krishnamore touted the “stand-in-the-bully career” like the e-cigarette industry and pharmaceutical companies.

“If I have any questions about the Senate campaign, I think they’re erased in what we’ve seen in the first 100 days of the Trump administration,” he said. “A lot of people feel that the American dream is out of reach, and it makes it even more impossible because Donald Trump and Doge and Elon Musk release the economic chaos. And my family and I enjoy the American dream. … And I feel my mission is to make sure that others can use it, and that’s available to others.”

He also cited the "leadership role in Donald Trump's first improvisation" of the then-House Intelligence Committee.

Krishnamoorthi is a top Democrat on the House U.S.-China Competition House Selection Committee, which was established in early 2023. Although he has been promoted to various committees, he believes it is his ranks because he will have to give up his home seat to participate in the Senate vote.

His prolific fundraising campaign last month foreshadowed his ambitions for senior positions. He raised $3 million in the first quarter of this year and had $19 million in cash on hand. This will come in handy, which can be an expensive primary.

Krishnamoorthi, who was in the early campaign of Obama for Congress in Illinois, said he did not talk to him about his Senate plan.

"The most important recognition is the people of Illinois," he said. "I'm going everywhere and trying to ask everyone for approval."

The winner of the Democratic primary will be a favorite in the election.

If he is elected, Krishnamoorthi may have to vote for Senate Democratic leaders. Asked if he would support the re-choice of New York's Chuck Schumer, Krishnamoorthi said: "I don't have a vote right now. If I had the honor to be there, I would definitely like to hear what he just talked about," referring to ensuring that the government makes American dreams accessible.

Trump's re-election last year inspired an estimate by Democrats that would play a role in primary elections in Illinois and elsewhere, whose voters want to make a more aggressive gesture from party leaders.

“And, we can’t defend the status quo,” Krishnamore said. “We have to incite change.”