Overview

• Sen. Brian Schatz (D-HI) officially announced his candidacy for Senate Democratic whip, becoming the first to enter the race to replace retiring Sen. Dick Durbin.
• Schatz's campaign launch follows endorsements from Sens. Cory Booker (D-NJ), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), and Jacky Rosen (D-NV), signaling early support within the Democratic caucus.
• Durbin, who has served as Senate Democratic whip since 2005, confirmed he will not endorse a candidate in the leadership race.
• Potential contenders Sens. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Patty Murray (D-WA) have not yet declared their intentions to run for the whip position.
• The whip role, critical for managing votes in a narrowly divided Senate, will be decided after the November 2026 elections.