By Illinois Review
In a social media post on Wednesday, U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin – the nation’s No. 2 Democrat in the Senate, announced that he’s retiring after five terms – triggering a political earthquake and a mad dash to fill a seat that he’s held since 1996.
On X, the top Democrat in the Senate and senior member of the powerful Judiciary Committee said,
“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 continued, “So, I am announcing today that I will not be seeking re-election at the end of my term.”
Durbin has been in public office since 1983, when he was first elected to the Illinois House of Representatives for the 20th District – which included his hometown of Springfield. In 1997, Durbin was elected to the U.S. Senate, where he’s remained – serving as the No. 2 Democrat in the Senate.
His wife, Loretta, is a well known lobbyist – and as the Chicago Tribune reported in 2019 – represented clients that received federal funding from projects advocated by her powerful husband.
Financial records show that Loretta has earned over $1 million in lobbying fees since her husband entered the U.S. Senate.
In a post on X, shortly after Durbin’s retirement announcement, former Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich highlighted this conflict of interest, writing his “wife used to lobby me.”
The race to replace Durbin will undoubtedly attract national attention, and will spark a scramble on both sides of the aisle to find someone to replace him. While the seat has been held by a Democrat, Republicans are gaining momentum and could potentially flip the seat from blue to red.
