In a game-changing development, Dick Durbin, the second-ranking Democrat in the Senate, has announced that he plans to retire at the end of 2026, leading to a critical juncture for the left as Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer scrambles to get his ducks in a row ahead of an upcoming Illinois primary.
For context, Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) announced that he was retiring on April 23, 2025, explaining that he believed it was time to find a successor. The 80-year-old senator has held his position since 1996 and became second to the Democratic Leader in 2005, and he reportedly is one of four total Senate Democrats who are retiring ahead of the upcoming primaries, the others being Sen. Gary Peters (D-MI), Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), and Sen. Tina Smith (D-MN).
In a video announcing his retirement, Sen. Durbin explained that he had decided that it was best for him to step away from his role. He told his supporters, “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 continued, “So, I am announcing today that I will not be seeking re-election at the end of my term.”
Furthermore, Sen. Durbin implied that he believed that he had worked hard for his country, saying, “I’ve given over half of my life to House and Senate Congressional service. I’ve always tried to stand up to power on behalf of the people of Illinois and our country.”
Continuing, Sen. Durbin thanked those who had helped him along the way throughout his political career, saying, “To the Illinoisans who gave this kid from East St. Louis a chance to serve, thank you for supporting me through the words and actions over the years. Now that I have this announcement behind me, I need to get back to work.”
In a piece that Sen. Durbin wrote for The Chicago Tribune, he went into greater detail and explained that he aims to still be involved in politics in some capacity, going on to imply that the Trump Administration was a threat to democracy, saying, “The challenges facing the Senate with this new administration are historic.”
Moving on, Sen. Durbin added that the “challenges” brought about by the Trump Administration “go to the heart of our democracy.” He continued, “And I am anxious to be part of that debate. I can assure you that I will continue to do everything in my power to fight for Illinois and the future of our nation every day of my remaining time in Senate service.”
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When Sen. Durbin announced his retirement on X, conservatives took to the comments section to celebrate and speculate. One user with the handle Three Year Letterman wrote, “Now President Trump gets to appoint your successor,” and another commenter chimed in, “Let’s cut to the chase…are you on the Epstein list?”
Watch Sen. Durbin announce his retirement:
Featured image credit: screenshot from the embedded video