Dick Durbin, the Senate’s longtime second-ranking Democrat, announced plans to retire at the end of next year, sparking a succession scramble to fill his powerful leadership position in the chamber, as well as a crowded primary in Illinois.
Durbin, 80, had long been expected to retire, having served in the chamber since 1996 and as the Senate Democratic whip since 2005, a position that gave him clout with the party’s leader as chief deputy to the late Harry Reid and now with Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer.
Durbin becomes the fourth Senate Democrat to announce his retirement rather than seek reelection next year.
“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,” Durbin announced Wednesday. “So, I am announcing today that I will not be seeking re-election at the end of my term.”
Durbin’s retirement decision opens up several key positions, including chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee in the previous Congress, where he presided over the confirmation of Ketanji Brown Jackson, the first Black woman to serve on the Supreme Court, and where he has long advocated for legislation to assist Dreamers, undocumented migrants brought to the United States as children.
In Illinois, several Democrats are preparing for a potential candidacy, building their campaign funds ahead of a competitive Democratic primary in the blue state. Reps. Raja Krishnamoorthi, Robin Kelly, and Lauren Underwood, as well as Illinois Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton, are among those considered probable possibilities.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer thanked Durbin in a statement following his announcement, saying that “he’s been a trusted partner, one of the most respected voices in the Senate for decades, my dear friend, and, of course, my former roommate.”
“For more than four decades, Senator Dick Durbin has been a pillar of leadership, integrity, and unwavering dedication to the people of his home state of Illinois and the nation,” Sen. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, a leadership member, said in a statement.
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Durbin is now the fourth Senate Democrat to announce his retirement rather than seek re-election in the 2026 midterms.
Sen. Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire announced her retirement, choosing not to run for re-election.
The announcement by the former governor and three-term senator from a key New England swing state will add to the challenges facing Democrats as they strive to regain Senate control from Republicans in next year’s elections.
National Republicans see opportunities to flip the Senate seat in New Hampshire from blue to red, and the National Republican Senatorial Committee had already run ads targeting Shaheen over her defense of USAID funding that the Trump administration is eliminating.
Last November, Republicans flipped four Democrat-held Senate seats to regain control of the chamber, and they are now aiming to further expand their majority in 2026.
In addition to New Hampshire, the GOP is targeting key battlegrounds such as Michigan, where Democratic Sen. Gary Peters announced in January that he would not seek re-election.
Georgia is also on their radar, with first-term Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff viewed as vulnerable in another crucial swing state.
Furthermore, Democratic Sen. Tina Smith of Minnesota announced last month that she would not run for another term in the midterms, fueling GOP hopes of making the blue-leaning state more competitive.
Republicans believe they have the opportunity to flip at least two seats in the 2026 midterms, which could give them an even bigger margin in the Senate if they maintain all of their currently controlled seats.
