In Illinois, Republicans may be about to get their preferred Senate candidates in the Democratic Party primary for Senate, where the early influx of big money has defined the race.
In April 2025, Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., who was first elected to the Senate in 1996 and is now the second-highest-ranking Democrat, announced his retirement after the 2026 election, setting off a race to fill the seat, the winner of which stands a good chance at serving just as long as Durbin.
