WASHINGTON – Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), a veteran senator and the second-highest-ranked Democrat in the Senate, announced Wednesday that he won’t seek reelection, kicking off what is expected to be a crowded primary to replace him.
“The decision of whether to run for re-election has not been easy. I truly love the job of being a United States Senator,” Durbin said on social media. “But in my heart, I know it’s time to pass the torch.”
“So, I am announcing today that I will not be seeking re-election at the end of my term.”
Durbin, 80, has been in public office for more than four decades. He was elected to the Senate in 1997 after serving in the House for 14 years. His decades-long tenure has made him the longest-serving Senate party whip in U.S. history. He joins Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire, Gary Peters of Michigan, and Tina Smith of Minnesota as Democrats who are retiring and making way for a younger generation in the upper chamber.
Durbin’s departure will set off a mad scramble not just for his reliably blue Senate seat, but for his colleagues eager to move up in Senate leadership and on committees.
Potential candidates to replace Durbin in the Senate have been jockeying for his seat well before his Wednesday announcement, including Democratic Reps. Lauren Underwood, Robin Kelly and Raja Krishnamoorthi, as well as Illinois Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton. Illinois state Sen. Robert Peters and Christopher Swann, a nonprofit leader in Chicago, are other Democrats who have reportedly signaled interest in running for his Senate seat.
A recent poll from 314 Action Fund found that Underwood, who has been organizing and raising money for her campaign, has the highest name recognition of the candidates in the field. Krishnamoorthi, who has already raised an eye-popping $19 millionalso polled well.
Some of Durbin’s Senate colleagues had their press statements ready for his announcement, including those with ambitions to fill his posts. HuffPost initially learned of Durbin’s retirement news from Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), who issued a statement praising the Illinois Democrat’s decades of service before most news outlets had even reported on his retirement. Schatz, 52, is a likely contender to fill Durbin’s role as Democratic whip in leadership.
Schatz said Durbin has been “a pillar of leadership, integrity, and unwavering dedication to the people of his home state of Illinois and the nation,” calling him a “titan of the Senate.”
“When you board a flight and can breathe clean, smoke-free air, you can thank Dick Durbin,” said the Hawaii Democrat. “When we see breakthroughs in medical research at NIH that are helping save lives, you can thank Dick Durbin. The list goes on.”
Meanwhile, 314 Action Fund, which is focused on electing Democrats with backgrounds in science and medicine, wasted no time endorsing Underwood to replace Durbin. Underwood is a registered nurse and public health expert.
“Senator Durbin has been an indisputable champion for Illinois, delivering time and time again for the state – while no one can fill his shoes, voters are ready for the next generation of bold leadership,” Erik Polyak, managing director of 314 Action, said in a statement. “It’s clear that voters trust Representative Underwood to continue his legacy. Her voice and STEM expertise is crucial to make real, lasting change on the issues facing Americans every day.”
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Durbin’s legacy will largely be defined by his role as the top Democrat on the powerful Senate Judiciary Committee. While chairing the panel from 2021 to 2025, he helped steer a massive number of President Joe Biden’s lifetime federal judges to confirmation: 235 judges, five more than Donald Trump secured in his first term. The confirmation of Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson was easily the proudest moment for Durbin and Biden.
He’s also led the charge on efforts that banned smoking on airplanes, expanded health research and added protections for DREAMERs, or people who were brought to the U.S. as children by parents who were undocumented immigrants.
Durbin’s likely successor on the Senate Judiciary Committee is Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.). The 69-year-old Democrat led a failed effort in 2020 to prevent Durbin from being able to simultaneously serve as the party’s whip and as the ranking member on this committee.
Durbin will serve out the rest of his current term through January 2027.
CORRECTION: This post has been amended to correctly state when Durbin’s term in office will end.
