Illinois Senator Dick Durbin, the No. 2 Senate Democrat, said Wednesday that he will not seek reelection next year, capping a career of more than four decades in Congress. No formal decision has been made regarding Durbin’s successor as Democratic Party whip.
“The decision of whether to run for re-election has not been easy. I truly love the job of being a United States Senator. But in my heart, I know it’s time to pass the torch,” he said in a video posted on the social media platform X.
Durbin advocated for immigration reform, the Affordable Care Act, a ban on indoor smoking
Durbin was first elected to Congress in 1982 and has served in the Senate since January 3, 1997. During his tenure as Senate Democratic whip, Durbin was an advocate of immigration reform and a defender of “dreamers.” He helped pass the Affordable Care Act, the Inflation Reduction Act, COVID-19 relief and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
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Durbin is also recognized for launching the movement to ban indoor smoking, which can be traced backed to his 53-year-old father dying of lung cancer when he was 14.
“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.
Durbin’s time on the Senate Judiciary Committee
Durbin served as chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, where he is currently the ranking member. During his tenure as chairman, he helped President Joe Biden secure the confirmation of 235 appointments to the federal judiciary, including the confirmation of Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court.
Durbin’s background and jobs before Congress
Born in 1944 in East St. Louis, Illinois, to immigrant parents, Durbin graduated from the undergraduate program in 1966 and law school at Georgetown University in Washington in 1969, and interned for former Sen. Paul Douglas (D-Ill.). He held multiple roles in Illinois politics, including a term as counsel to former Lt. Gov. Paul Simon.
Durbin as a figure in Illinois politics and the national stage
“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,” former President Barack Obama, who served alongside Durbin in the Senate, wrote on X. “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.”
Those who could run for Durbin’s seat include former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, Illinois Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton, Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias, Rep. Darin LaHood (R-Ill.), Rep. Lauren Underwood (D-Ill.) and Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.). Upon Durbin’s retirement, Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) will be the senior senator from Illinois.
Durbin’s time in public office
January 1983 – January 1997, U.S. House of Representatives.
January. 1997 – Present, U.S. Senate