Juliana Stratton

Juliana's Story

I'm Juliana Stratton, Lieutenant Governor of Illinois. 

My mom was a public school teacher. My dad, a Navy veteran, was a doctor in safety net hospitals. I grew up understanding that service is the rent you pay for being on this earth; when someone has a need, you do everything within your power to help meet their need.

That’s certainly what happened when I became the primary caregiver for my mother, Velma, after she was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. It was both an honor and one of the hardest things I’ve ever done, especially as a mom of daughters myself. 

Caregiving taught me valuable lessons that continues to shape the leader I am today. I learned that between those who are well-resourced and those that are trying to make ends meet there are a lot of families (like mine) who are just one emergency or health crisis away from chaos. I learned to be creative about finding resources, and to be a good steward of those resources – because, when you’re caring for others, you must be accountable and leave no room for waste. And, I learned that the best thing we can do for others is to show up when they need us the most. Above all, we must never, ever turn away from our most vulnerable.

Every day that I serve the people of Illinois, I think of my mother. Illinoisans deserve a leader who will get things done in a responsible way. We need to trust that those in charge will make decisions from the heart, with the same level of attentiveness and care for all residents as I gave to my mom. Because that’s really what government is about: doing right by people, showing up for each other, and caring for our communities—like family.