Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) — the second ranking Democrat in the Senate — announced on Wednesday he will not seek reelection.
The Senate Democrat whip, who has served in the Senate since 1996, made the announcement in a video message posted to social media Wednesday.
“The decision of whether to run for reelection 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’m announcing today that I will not be seeking reelection at the end of my term,” the 80-year-old senator said, meaning he will leave office when his term expires in 2027.
“The people of Illinois have honored me with this responsibility longer than anyone elected to the Senate and our state’s history. I’m truly grateful. Right now, the challenges facing our country are historic and unprecedented,” Durbin said.
“The threats to our democracy and way of life are very real, and I can assure you, I’ll do everything in my power to fight for Illinois and the future of our country, every day of my remaining time in the Senate,” he continued, noting that he has “given over half of my life to House and Senate congressional service.”
He thanked his family and staff and assured the people of Illinois that his Senate colleague, Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), “is a trusted friend and an effective leader” who will be a “real asset to Illinois and the nation as our state’s senior senator.”
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Durbin served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1982 on before taking his Senate seat in 1996. If he went on to seek reelection and won, he would have been 88 years old at the end of his next term.
“You observe your colleagues and watch what happens. For some of them, there’s this miraculous aging process where they never seem to get too old,” he said, according to WBEZ Chicago.
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Durbin follows other Democrat senators — including Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Sen. Tina Smith (D-MN) — who have also announced that they will not seek reelection.
