Democratic Senator for Illinois Richard (Dick) Durbin, the No. 2 Democrat in the Senate for two decades, announced Wednesday that he is not going to seek re-election in 2026, declaring that it is “time to pass the church.” Durbin has now become the latest Democratic Senator to step down as a debate over age and seniority in Congress continues to intensify.
The decision, though it did not come as a total surprise, will open up a leadership position in the chamber, including on the Senate Judiciary Committee, where he served as chairman in the last Congress, and is expected to set off a competitive primary for his seat in solidly blue Illinois.
“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 statement Wednesday and video posted to social media. “So, I am announcing today that I will not be seeking re-election at the end of my term.”
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.
So, I am announcing today that I will not be seeking re-election at the end of my term. pic.twitter.com/eiBTPjToFT
— Senator Dick Durbin (@SenatorDurbin) April 23, 2025
Durbin has played a prominent role in the Senate on a host of big issues and was considered a forceful advocate of party positions, The New York Times reports. He was among the first to push for a path to citizenship for some undocumented immigrants brought to the United States unlawfully as children, a group that came to be known as Dreamers and became the focal point of successive failed efforts to overhaul immigration laws.
Durbin, 80, had long been expected to step aside, having served in the chamber since 1996 and as the Senate Democratic whip since 2005, a position that has given him influence with the party’s leader as the chief deputy for the late Harry Reid and currently with Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer.
With his decision, Durbin also becomes the fourth Senate Democrat to announce plans to retire rather than run for reelection next year. The others include Sens. Gary Peters of Michigan, Tina Smith of Minnesota and Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire. More departures could be on the horizon too, as Sen. Michael Bennet of Colorado is eyeing a run for governor in 2026 instead of running for reelection in the Senate.
The retirements illustrate the challenges Democrats face out of power, CNN argues. They also reflect the broader problems of the institution, which had already grown less collegial and productive even before it allowed President Donald Trump’s new administration to usurp its authority on a variety of issues from spending to tariffs.
“It’s not just gotten more partisan, but the base has gotten to the point where, if you work with the other side, that’s considered by some to be a negative character, character trait of what people are doing. And, and that’s a really bad position for us to be in,” Shaheen told CNN.
Several Illinois Democrats have indicated an interest if the seat opened up and have been readying for a potential candidacy. They include Representatives Lauren Underwood, 38; Raja Krishnamoorthi, 51; and Robin Kelly, 68, along with Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratoon, 59.
Durbin’s retirement also comes at a time when an age and seniority debate is gaining strength in Congress, as younger Democrats seek to oust long-time lawmakers.
Among the most notable names is Saikat Chakrabarti, a 39-year-old former chief of staff for Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who launched a bid in February to oust Rep. Nancy Pelosi. Others include 26-year-old Kat Abughazaleh who is challenging veteran Illinois Democratic Rep. Jan Schakowsky, as well as a handful of other names like Jake Rakov, 37, challenging his old boss, Rep. Brad Sherman from California and George Hornedo, 34, seeking to unseat nine-term Rep. Andre Carson in Indiana.
At the same time, Democratic National Committee Vice Chair David Hogg, who emerged in the political scene as an outspoken survivor of the 2018 school shooting in Parkland, Fla., has communicated plans to allocate funds to challenge lawmakers in safe seats and bring new, younger people to the forefront of the party.
“People say they want change in the Democratic Party, but really they want change so long as it doesn’t potentially endanger their position of power,” Hogg told The New York Times in a recent interview. “That’s not actually wanting change. That’s selfishness.”
Originally published on Latin Times
