CHICAGO (WLS) — The first television ad has hit the airway in the hotly contested race for a U.S. Senate seat.

Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi spent half-a-million dollars on his new statewide television and digital ad campaign.

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Krishnamoorthi is showcasing his hefty campaign funds with an ad release a full eight months ahead of the upcoming primary election. This move is interpreted as a strategic play to apply significant pressure on his two primary opponents.

“Growing up with a name and background like mine, I always felt like an underdog,” Krishnamoorthi says in the ad.

He is getting a jump on his rivals with the first TV ad of this Senate campaign.

“It’s quite uncommon to kick off TV ads this early. There’s a long road of campaigning ahead. He’s equipped with the financial backing necessary and is clearly aiming to take the lead against his competitors,” remarked ABC7 Political Analyst Laura Washington.

Krishnamoorthi is now aiming to challenge and apply pressure on the two other prominent Democratic hopefuls, Congresswoman Robin Kelly and Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton, to step up their campaigns.

“Oh, a ton of pressure, especially now, since the ads are already running, they’re going to have to come up with their own ads and get on television. It’s just a matter of how much money they have in their war chest to be able to do so,” said Elmhurst University Political Science Professor Connie Mixon.

Krishnamoorthi reported $21 million in his campaign coffer. Kelly reported $2.45 million on hand, and Stratton reported that she has raised $1 million.

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On Monday, Stratton bulked up her Democratic establishment endorsements, adding Illinois Senate Majority Leader Kimberly Lightford and Illinois House Speaker Chris Welch to her list of supporters.

“It may make her the establishment candidate, the person that the establishment is supporting. But that doesn’t necessarily mean much in race like this. Money trumps that, and those folks need to put up some money,” Washington said. “JB Pritzker is supporting her, but where are the dollars to back that up?”

Krishnamoorthi’s underdog claims seem to some like an attempt to redefine him to voters.

“You don’t think of someone who has multi, multi-million dollars in his war chest as being an underdog,” Washington said.

And his messaging of standing up to President Donald Trump mirrors that of his main competitors.

“And I think that will continue for a while, because when it gets down to it, they don’t really have policy differences. They can’t separate themselves on different policies,” Mixon said.

The timing of Krishnamoorthi’s ad is also seen as strategic with the state Democratic Party slating meeting coming up on Friday, where there will be a vote on an endorsement in this race.

But unless a candidate gets 50% plus one, there will not be any endorsement.