Longtime Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin, the No. 2 Democrat in the U.S. Senate, announced he will retire after his term ends in January 2027.
“I truly love the job of being United State Senator, but in my heart, I know it’s time to pass the torch,” Durbin said in a social media video.
Durbin’s retirement will end a 44-year congressional career. The East St. Louis native who has lived in Springfield for the last five decades was first elected to the U.S. House in 1982.
Durbin, 80, won election to the U.S. Senate in 1996 to succeed retiring Democratic Sen. Paul Simon, to whom Durbin served as legal counsel in the early 1970s when Simon was the state’s lieutenant governor. Durbin has since rose through the ranks of the Senate, chairing the powerful Senate Judiciary Committee and now serving as the No. 2 ranking Democrat in the Senate as minority whip.
“The people of Illinois have honored me with this responsibility longer than anyone elected to the Senate in our state’s history. I’m truly grateful,” Durbin said.
Durbin has kept decisions about his political future a closely guarded secret, telling reporters as recently as last week that he has not made any decisions about his future.
Durbin said at a news conference in downstate Taylorville last month that “whether I’m still physically able, mentally able to deal with the issues,” were the top factors guiding his decision. At the time, he suggested he was.
His retirement is expected to set off a flurry of moves by some of the state’s top Democrats who are widely believed to be interested in the seat, including Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton and U.S. Reps. Raja Krishnamoorthi, Lauren Underwood and Robin Kelly.
“We are also fortunate to have a strong Democratic bench ready to serve,” Durbin said. “We need them now more than ever.”
With Durbin stepping aside in 2027, Sen. Tammy Duckworth, a Hoffman Estates Democrat, will become Illinois’ senior senator.
“It is only because of Dick’s empathy, patience, support and mentorship that I am in the United States Senate today,” Duckworth said in a statement. “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.”
Gov. JB Pritzker said in a statement that Durbin has been “a consistent leader and reliable champion” for Illinois.
“The people of Illinois should take great pride having a leader like Dick Durbin represent us in the U.S. Senate,” Pritzker said. “I have been proud to be his partner and am even more proud to call him my friend. He will leave some extraordinary shoes to fill – and has given us all an example of courage and righteousness for the work ahead.”
Ben Szalinski, Capitol News Illinois
