Illinois Senator Dick Durbin announces he will not run for reelection: 'Time to pass the torch'
CHICAGO (WLS) -- Longtime Democratic Senator Dick Durbin of Illinois said Wednesday that he will not seek reelection in 2026, ending his more than four-decade career representing Illinois and piling more pressure on the party as it already faced a difficult path to reclaiming a majority in the Senate.
The decision by Durbin, who is in his fifth Senate term and is the chamber's No. 2 Democrat, will set off a flurry of activity among a scrum of would-be successors, both Democratic and Republican. But in a state that has grown more solidly Democratic, the GOP has captured a Senate seat just twice for six-year terms since 1984.
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Durbin made the announcement in a video, saying the decision was not an easy one.
"But in my heart, I know it's time to pass the torch, so I'm announcing today that I will not be seeking reelection at the end of my term," Durbin said.
Durbin, who's 80, was first elected to the U.S. House in 1982 and served seven terms before succeeding his mentor, Paul Simon, in the Senate in 1996. From that post, he helped shape the career of an up-and-comer, Barack Obama, who was only four years into his first term in the Senate when he was elected president.
Durbin is the ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee and sits on the Appropriations and Agriculture committees. His caucus colleagues have chosen him as Democratic whip, the party's No. 2 position, biennially since 2005.
He has been consistently liberal in Congress. Govtrack's 2024 report card on Congress lists him as the Senate's 14th most liberal member - right behind Illinois' junior senator, Tammy Duckworth.
"There's going to be a number of people who are going to highly ambitious political people who are going to want to run for different offices, and this opens up big opportunity for them," ABC7 Political Analyst Laura Washington said.
Some Democrats likely to run for Durbin's seat include Lt. Governor Juliana Stratton, and three members of congress, representatives Raja Krishnamoorthi, Lauren Underwood, and Robin Kelly.
"The factors that usually matter in these kinds of races are money, name recognition, record, so I would say Raja Krishnamoorthi, because he has raised multi millions of dollars because he's planning on this for a very long time, he may have a leg up," Washington said.
Illinois Governor JB Pritzker would be expected to financially back Stratton, but on Wednesday he would not comment on that during a downstate event at a manufacturing plant.
'We're all just soaking in and and trying to, you know, recognize the great service that the Senator has given to the state," Pritzker said. "So that's what I'm going to do today."
Former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, who is still mulling his political future, is another potential senate candidate, but he might also be interested in running for governor.
Democrats spent Wednesday offering praise and thanks to Durbin for his years of service. Illinois' senior senator promised he will not leave office quietly.
"The challenges facing our country are historic and unprecedented," Durbin said. "The threats to our democracy and way of life are very real, and I can assure you, I'll do everything in my power to fight for Illinois and the future of our country, every day of my remaining time in the Senate."
Among Durbin's more significant legislative achievements, he is largely credited with putting in motion the movement to ban indoor smoking. Having watched his 53-year-old father die of lung cancer when he was 14, Durbin won approval of legislation he sponsored in 1987 prohibiting smoking on short commercial flights and expanded it to nearly all domestic flights two years later.
"People started asking, 'If secondhand smoke wasn't safe on airplanes - why is it safe in public buildings, schools, hospitals or restaurants?' The answer is simple: It's not," Durbin said on the 25th anniversary of the law.
In the early 2000s, he introduced the DREAM Act, which would give immigrants in the U.S. illegally who grew up in the country a pathway toward U.S. citizenship.
It's never become law, but in 2010, Durbin and Sen. Richard Lugar, an Indiana Republican, wrote Obama asking him to stop deporting so-called Dreamers. Obama responded with Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, which has covered about 830,000 immigrants, according to Durbin's office.
Durbin was instrumental in reversing a War on Drugs-era law that penalized crack cocaine in a 100-to-1 ratio to powder cocaine, a law that disproportionately hit Black defendants with long prison terms. The new law was made retroactive, reducing the sentences for those serving time for crack.
And with Republican and Democratic co-sponsors, Durbin pushed the First Step Act, which President Donald Trump signed into law in 2018. The criminal justice system revamp aimed to make sentencing laws fairer and provide programs to help people who are incarcerated transition in returning to society.
Richard Durbin was born in 1944 in East St. Louis. In 1966, after graduating from Georgetown University, he interned for Sen. Paul Douglas, whose seat he now holds. It was Douglas, who lost election to a fourth term in 1966, who once mistakenly called him "Dick," a nickname Durbin adopted.
Durbin earned a law degree from Georgetown and worked as legal counsel for Simon, who was lieutenant governor in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and then for the Legislature through the 1970s. In 1978, Durbin made an unsuccessful run for lieutenant governor, after which he maintained a private legal practice and co-owned a Springfield tavern.
A redrawn district, an economic recession and funding from pro-Israel forces were factors when in 1982 Durbin ousted 11-term Republican incumbent congressman Paul Findley, best known for his criticism of American policy toward Israel and support of Palestinians.
In 2000, Democratic presidential nominee Al Gore considered Durbin for the vice presidency, before Gore ultimately chose Sen. Joseph Lieberman of Connecticut. But a few years later, Durbin influenced another presidential candidate when he served as a sounding board for and adviser to Obama.
Thursday afternoon, Durbin will be holding a news conference at his home in Springfield to talk more about his decision.
Some other potential candidates to replace him include Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias and State Treasurer Mike Frerichs. On the Republican side, Illinois Congressman Darin LaHood is considered a likely candidate.
Former President Barack Obama said in a statement: "As an Illinois voter, I couldn't be prouder that our senator for the last 28 years has been one of the finest in the country. Dick Durbin has always fought the good fight on behalf of working families, and his integrity shines through in everything he does. It's also true that I would not have been a United States Senator - and certainly would not have been President - had it not been for Dick's support. He has been a great and loyal friend, and Michelle and I wish him and Loretta all the best in their next chapter."
Sen. Tammy Duckworth said on social media: "The first time I met Dick Durbin was just 12 weeks after my shootdown-at a point so early in my recovery that I could barely sit up for any length of time, even in my hospital bed. But when Dick looked at me, he saw past the wounds, saw past the wheelchair. He saw a Soldier in search of her next mission. And he recognized well before I did that just because I would no longer be flying Black Hawks for the Army didn't mean that I couldn't find a new way to serve my nation. It is only because of Dick's empathy, patience, support and mentorship that I am in the United States Senate today. It has been the honor of a lifetime to get to work alongside a leader who embodies what it means to be a true public servant. Someone who has never, ever stopped speaking out for those who far too often feel voiceless. Someone who has never, ever stopped fighting to hold the special interests in our country accountable Someone who has never, ever stopped caring enough about our nation to do the hard, grueling work necessary to make her a little more fair, a little more just-one day, one bill, one constituent at a time Dick Durbin is, and will always be, a giant of the United States Senate. He has dedicated his life to making our state-as well as our nation-stronger, and we are all better for it. There are no words to adequately express how grateful I am to call him a friend or how honored I've been to call him a mentor. And while I will miss working with him so closely in the Senate, I know he will find a new way to keep serving his country in the years ahead-just as he encouraged a wounded Soldier in a Walter Reed hospital room to do, all those years ago. Thank you, my friend. For everything."
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson said in a statement, "Today, Senator Dick Durbin announced that he will not seek reelection and will instead retire after 42 years in Congress. We all owe Senator Durbin a debt of gratitude for his decades of leadership in the U.S. House and Senate and for his unwavering commitment to the state of Illinois. I am confident that the people of Illinois will elect a worthy successor to carry on the rich legacy of Illinoisans fighting for progress in the U.S.
Senate. Thank you, Senator Durbin, for your years of sacrifice and your dedication to our great nation."
Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi released a statement Wednesday, saying: "Today is a day to celebrate Senator Dick Durbin for his exemplary career of public service as well as the profound and lasting positive impact he's had on Illinois families and our nation. Known for his legendary work ethic, Senator Durbin has led the fight to expand access to affordable health care, invest in our state's infrastructure, tackle gun violence, defend Dreamers, improve public health, protect working families, and more. His expert leadership on the Senate Judiciary Committee ensured the confirmation of a record 235 federal judges, shaping the courts and securing our most fundamental American rights for many years to come. A champion for everyday families and an unyielding advocate for the underdog, Senator Durbin represents the true meaning of public service. Over the next two years, I know he will continue to fiercely advocate for our state, and I will be honored to fight alongside him as we continue to deliver for Illinois. From one son of downstate to another: Thank you, Senator."
Illinois Senate President Don Harmon said in a statement: "I want to congratulate my friend Senator Dick Durbin on an extraordinary career in public service. His leadership made a lasting impact on Illinois. Senator Durbin spent his career fighting for all Illinoisans, and the trust the people placed in him over his tenure speaks for itself. I extend my thanks to Senator Durbin, Loretta, and their family, and wish them the very best in the years ahead."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
