Dick Durbin, the No. 2 Democrat in Senate, announces he wont seek reelection
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Senate's No. 2 Democrat Durbin to Retire After 44-Year Career
Above: U.S. Senator Dick Durbin greets people inside the Lyndon B. Johnson Room at the Capitol on Feb. 12, 2025, during a meeting with the Bloomington-Normal Economic Development Council in Washington, D.C., U.S. Image copyright: Brian Cassella/Contribuor/Chicago Tribune/Tribune News Service via Getty Images
The Spin
Democratic narrative
Dick Durbin, a titan of good governance, served Illinois honorably for over 40 years, shaping landmark legislation with integrity. As Senate Democratic Whip, he championed working families, civil rights, and compassionate immigration reform. His leadership drove historic bills, from expanding health research to protecting DREAMers, leaving a legacy of fairness and justice that strengthened the nation.
Republican narrative
Dick Durbin's 40-year legacy was a failure full of misguided policies and corruption. His leadership pushed divisive, unpopular Democratic principles, ignoring Illinois' economic decline as jobs fled Chicago to other countries and crime surged. Supporting soft-on-crime policies and big-government overreach, Durbin failed to deliver for working families, leaving a state and nation grappling with the consequences of his party's anti-American governance.