Sen. Dick Durbin will not seek reelection in 2026

U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, a son of East St. Louis who rose to become the second-most powerful Democrat in the U.S. Senate, announced Wednesday that he will not seek reelection in 2026.

“The decision of whether to run for reelection has not been easy," Durbin said in a video announcement. "I truly love the job of being a United States Senator. But in my heart, I know it’s time to pass the torch."

“Right now, 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 that I will do everything in my power to fight for Illinois and the future of our country every day of my remaining time in the Senate.”

Durbin's decision ends months of political speculation on the 80-year-old's next move and sets in motion an open Democratic primary next year that could feature some heavy hitters in state politics eager to move up.

He has been a fixture Illinois government and politics for more than a half-century, from interning for U.S. Sen. Paul Douglas while attending Georgetown University to serving in the U.S. House before his election in 1996 to the Senate seat Douglas once held. 

“Dick Durbin is, and will always be, a giant of the United States Senate," said U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth, his Democratic colleague from Illinois, in a statement. "He has dedicated his life to making our state — as well as our nation — stronger, and we are all better for it." 

Gov. JB Pritzker, in a statement, lauded Durbin as "a consistent champion and reliable leader for our working families, civil rights, healthcare, climate, and beyond."

“His legacy is defined not just by the legislation he passed, but by the undeniable positive impact his character and moral leadership has had on the nation," Pritzker said. "Together with his talented wife Loretta who has trained and encouraged so many women who have become successful public servants, Dick remains a clear voice for truth, equality, and justice."

If he serves out his term, Durbin will be the longest-serving senator in Illinois history, beating former Sen. Shelby Cullom, who served from 1883 to 1913, by one day.

Several possible contenders emerge

Durbin’s retirement will set off massive upheaval within state Democratic politics. The primary to succeed him is expected to be crowded. Possible candidates include Illinois Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton, Treasurer Mike Frerichs, U.S. Rep. Robin Kelly, U.S. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, and U.S. Rep. Lauren Underwood.

Stratton opened a federal political action committee earlier this year and told Lee Enterprises that she would be interested in running for the seat if Durbin retired. And political insiders have long pegged Krishnamoorthi as a likely candidate. The Schaumburg Democrat has more than $19 million in his campaign account and has been traveling the state over the past year.

Underwood, a Black woman who defeated an incumbent Republican in a heavily white suburban congressional district in 2018 has long been viewed as a rising star in the party.

Kelly has served in Congress since 2013. She previously ran statewide, losing an election for state treasurer in 2010. And she was briefly the chair of the Democratic Party of Illinois.

Frerichs has been the state's chief investment officer since 2015. The Gifford native previously represented parts of Champaign and Vermillion counties in the state Senate. He confirmed his interest in a statement Wednesday, saying that he is "considering how I can continue to best serve the people of Illinois."

Amongst Republicans, U.S. Rep. Darin LaHood, R-Peoria, is giving the race a look. LaHood political director Jake Ford said that the Central Illinois congressman is "focused on delivering conservative leadership for all Illinoisans that offers a clear alternative to the failed liberal policies driving families and businesses out of Illinois.”'

Several more are expected to give the race a look. 

Durbin's path to the Capitol

Upon attaining his law degree, Durbin returned to Illinois, settling down in Springfield. But he always had the political bug. He served as legal counsel to then-Lt. Gov. Paul Simon and later the Illinois Senate. He ran unsuccessfully for Illinois Senate in 1976 and for lieutenant governor in 1978.

But the third time proved to be the charm for Durbin when, in 1982, he defeated 11-term incumbent Republican Rep. Paul Findley by less than 1,400 votes to represent a west-central Illinois congressional district that stretched from Quincy to Decatur and swaths of rural areas in between. Durbin served 14 years in the House.

In 1996, Durbin ran for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Sen. Paul Simon. He easily defeated future Gov. Pat Quinn in the Democratic primary and won a larger-than-expected victory against Republican state Rep. Al Salvi in the general election. Durbin has subsequently been reelected four times by double-digit margins.

Durbin has been in leadership almost his entire time in the Senate. And in 2005, he was named Democratic whip, the no. 2 position within the caucus and a title he still holds. He is now fifth in seniority in the 100-member body.

This stature has put Durbin in a strong position to federal dollars home. Among the projects he's secured funds for include the expansion of Chicago's O'Hare International Airport, Springfield's Rail Improvements Project and countless other infrastructure projects.

Durbin's ideology shifted over the years. He started as a moderate while serving in the House but later became a liberal stalwart in the Senate.

This change was most evident on abortion. Durbin early in his career supported strict restrictions on the procedure. But he later became a major supporter of abortion rights. So much so that Catholic bishops in the Diocese of Springfield have denied Durbin communion since 2004 over his position.  

During the Biden Administration, Durbin served as the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, where he oversaw the confirmation of Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson and more than 200 federal judges.

Throughout his tenure, Durbin has been the chief champion of proposed legislation that would grant legal status to undocumented people who were brought to the United States as children. Known as the DREAM Act, the legislation has been introduced several times but has never passed both houses of Congress.

One of his most consequential acts was as a House member, when he served as the chief sponsor of legislation, signed into law in 1987, that banned smoking on commercial airline flights. 

In 2002, he was one of 23 Senators who voted against authorizing the use of military force in Iraq. 

Duckworth, his colleague from Illinois, was among prominent Democrats who lauded Durbin's public service after Wednesday's announcement. 

"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 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," she said.