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5d ago

Sen. Dick Durbin Announces Retirement, Ending Four-Decade Congressional Career

The Senate's No. 2 Democrat will not seek reelection in 2026, setting off leadership changes and a competitive race for his Illinois seat.

FILE - Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., with ranking member Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, left, and Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., right, swears in Assistant Attorney General for National Security Division Matthew Olsen and Executive Assistant Director, National Security Branch of the FBI Jill Sanborn during the committee hearing to examine the domestic terrorism threat one year after January 6, on Capitol Hill, Feb. 10, 2022, in Washington. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta, File)
U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) speaks during a hearing organized by Democrats in the House of Representatives and Senate about the Trump administration's treatment of the Justice Department and law firms who act in cases disliked by the Republican president, on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., U.S., April 7, 2025. REUTERS/Elizabeth Frantz/File Photo
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Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing May 1, 2019, in Washington, DC.

Overview

  • Sen. Dick Durbin, 80, announced he will retire at the end of his current term in 2026, concluding over 40 years of public service.
  • Durbin has served as Senate Democratic Whip since 2005 and is the chamber’s second-highest-ranking Democrat.
  • His decision paves the way for a leadership reshuffle within Senate Democrats and an open race for Illinois's Senate seat.
  • Durbin's legislative legacy includes championing indoor smoking bans, immigration reform for Dreamers, and criminal justice reforms like the First Step Act.
  • The announcement follows months of speculation, fueled by Durbin’s notably low fundraising total of $43,000 in the first quarter of 2025.