Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton was in Rockford on Monday as she contemplates a potential run for the U.S. Senate and launched a series of statewide panel discussions to introduce her new Level Up PAC.

Stratton said she would consider a run for U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin’s seat if the 80-year-old chooses to retire following his fifth term in office. The PAC is a way to beef up her political infrastructure while supporting candidates and causes in the wake of President Donald Trump’s election.

"One month in, we’re seeing the chaos that’s not helping people’s lives get better," Stratton said. "We have not heard anything about lowering costs. We have not heard anything about protecting healthcare. None of the things that were promised on the campaign. We have seen none of it happen for working families."

Stratton said she and Gov. JB Pritzker have focused on improving the lives of everyday working families by eliminating an Illinois bill backlog, raising the minimum wage, making record investments in infrastructure and protecting access to abortions.

Stratton was joined in the panel discussion at the IBEW Local 364 union hall by Rockford Mayor Tom McNamara and The Rev. Violet Johnicker, pastor of Brooke Road United Methodist Church and executive director of Rockford Urban Ministries.

About three dozen union, civic and Democratic political leaders attended.

Just a few weeks into his term, McNamara said Trump’s new administration with mass federal employee terminations and threats to federal funding has sowed chaos and confusion.

"I take it for granted when we have a leader and things are just moving along and there’s communication and there’s steadfast leadership," McNamara said. "But it’s not this chaotic mess. I mean it has really thrown every municipality across the state into disarray, wondering what is next."

Johnicker said that although a lot of focus has been on Latino immigrants, there is a large population of Swahili-speaking immigrants from the Democratic Republic of the Congo living near her church in southeast Rockford. Many students from the immigrant families are being kept home from school because their parents and grandparents fear they could be deported, Johnicker said.

"People are both afraid and angry," Johnicker said. "We don’t have a federal administration right now that represents American values. … I heard from so many folks who are disappointed and afraid and scared, particularly for our friends in the immigrant, refugee, asylum-seeking community."

Jeff Kolkey writes about government, economic development and other issues for the Rockford Register Star. He can be reached via email at jkolkey@rrstar.com and on X @jeffkolkey.