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.
