Sen. Dick Durbin’s (D-Ill.) decision not to seek a sixth term in the Senate is expected to tee up a spirited Democratic primary to replace him next year.
Durbin, the No. 2 Senate Democrat who has long served as a member of Senate Democratic leadership and is the top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, announced Wednesday in a video he will retire after his current term in office, saying it was “time to pass the torch.”
Democrats are now bracing for a crowded field to succeed the 80-year-old senator, with at least four candidates hinting at — or being floated for — possible bids.
“I think Illinois voters have a blessing of riches because there are just so many talented people,” said Martha McKenna, a Democratic strategist who’s long worked with the Senate Democrats’ campaign arm.
Durbin became the fourth Senate Democrat to announce he will forgo another term in the upper chamber, joining retiring Sens. Gary Peters (Mich.), Tina Smith (Minn.) and Jeanne Shaheen (N.H.).
In recent months, there had been growing speculation over whether Durbin, who entered the Senate in 1997 and has been in Congress since 1983, would vie for a sixth term. Questions around his future became particularly heightened earlier this month, when his campaign reported it had raised roughly $42,000 between January and March of this year — a remarkably small sum for one of the Senate’s most influential members.
Durbin put those questions to rest Wednesday, though he vowed in his video he would “do everything in my power to fight for Illinois and the future of our country every day of my remaining time in the Senate.”
Now, all eyes are turning to handful of Democrats who are likely to mount bids for Durbin’s seat: Illinois Reps. Robin Kelly, Raja Krishnamoorthi and Lauren Underwood, in addition to state Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton.
Those Democrats put out statements lauding Durbin, though they did not confirm their own next steps. A source in Illinois told The Hill that Krishnamoorthi, who’s sitting on a $19.4 million war chest, is “widely expected to run.”
Democratic strategists say each of them would be a formidable contender for the Senate seat. Chicago-based strategist Kevin Lampe noted that Kelly has a long track record in Illinois government and that she represents a district that’s a unique mixture of rural, suburban and urban communities.
Lampe noted Krishnamoorthi was a “great campaigner,” referencing his bid for state comptroller, which he narrowly lost in 2010. The Chicago strategist pointed out Underwood’s ability to win Illinois’ competitive 14th District, located west of Chicago, while adding that Stratton had two statewide wins under her belt.
Lampe suggested Illinois Treasurer Michael Frerichs could also be a strong candidate, too.
Still, Lampe said he believed the early frontrunner might be Kelly.
She’s someone “who I’ve seen since she ran for state rep who is … definitely a workhorse. She is aggressive in her district about getting out there and meeting people and talking to people,” he said.
“I think it will be a spirited and hard-fought race because, you know, all four of them have a strong record of accomplishment. They each have a vision for the state,” McKenna added of the potential primary field.
Some Republicans may also be hinting at potential interest. Rep. Darin LaHood (R-Ill.) said in a statement posted on X that the senator’s retirement “was long overdue.”
“I will work with Illinoisans from across the state to ensure our next U.S. Senator will work with President Trump to lower inflation, cut taxes, secure our border, and protect our streets and families,” he added.
Still, the climb for Republicans in Illinois will be steep — the last time the Prairie State elected a Senate Republican was in 2010 when former Sen. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) defeated Giannoulias.
One question looming over the race is whether Gov. JB Pritzker (D) weighs in on the Senate primary. Politico reported last month that Stratton has said she’s privately received the backing of the Democratic governor, though a person close to the governor’s political team told the news outlet that “We’re not going to engage with hypotheticals for a seat that’s not even open.”
“Right now, the Governor thanks Sen. Durbin for his service and will wait for candidates who are considering entering the race to make their own announcements,” Jordan Abudayyeh, a member of Pritzker’s political team, told The Hill when asked about Pritzker’s thinking.
Durbin’s retirement comes amid a broader conversation within the party about age and the next generation of Democratic leaders, particularly as a handful of younger candidates have announced primary bids to older incumbents like Reps. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.) and Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.).
While some younger candidates and members of the party are frustrated with current leadership in the House, that same dynamic is not playing out — at least not as publicly — in the Senate with Democratic retirements. McKenna said that there’s also a notable split screen between how members of the parties are responding to key Senate retirements.
“I am just struck at the difference between how the candidates who are running to replace [Sen. Mitch] McConnell are acting vs. what I think will happen with Durbin,” said McKenna.
“All of these candidates who want to run for Senate will embrace him, embrace his legacy, will shine a bright light, applauding him for his work on behalf of Illinois,” she explained of Durbin.
But she said the same isn’t holding true as candidates Daniel Cameron and Andy Barr look to replace McConnell, a former Senate majority leader, in Kentucky.
“It was like an abrupt difference when you look at how McConnell’s retirement was received in Kentucky, how the candidates in the primary — Republican primary — are distancing themselves from him, it will be the exact opposite in Illinois, where I think people running and candidates in general will embrace that Durbin legacy,” she said.
