{"id":2426564,"date":"2025-04-23T14:44:02","date_gmt":"2025-04-23T18:44:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/durbin-senate-retirement-opens-door-for-big-name-democrats-in-illinois-washington-examiner\/"},"modified":"2025-04-23T14:45:40","modified_gmt":"2025-04-23T18:45:40","slug":"durbin-senate-retirement-opens-door-for-big-name-democrats-in-illinois-washington-examiner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/durbin-senate-retirement-opens-door-for-big-name-democrats-in-illinois-washington-examiner\/","title":{"rendered":"Durbin Senate retirement opens door for big-name Democrats in Illinois &#8211; Washington Examiner"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">26<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fdurbin-senate-retirement-opens-door-for-big-name-democrats-in-illinois-washington-examiner%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2426564&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Longtime Senator Dick Durbin of Illinois announced on Wednesday that he will not seek reelection in 2026, opening the door for a competitive Democratic primary.This announcement marks Durbin as the fifth sitting senator to retire,providing an opportunity for younger candidates to emerge. Several House Democrats, including Reps. Lauren Underwood,Robin Kelly,adn Raja Krishnamoorthi,are expected to consider running for the seat. The race is anticipated to be highly competitive and potentially expensive despite Illinois&#8217; solid Democratic leanings.<\/p>\n<p>Krishnamoorthi is seen as a strong contender with significant fundraising backing, while Kelly has expressed interest in running if Durbin stepped down. Underwood has also indicated she may enter the race given <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/abortion-rights-groups-are-concerned-the-big-bet-on-new-laws-has-spread-donors-too-thin\/\" title=\"Abortion...rights groups worry that heavy reliance on new laws has stretched donors thin\">favorable polling results<\/a>. The primary could create challenges for House Democratic leadership if multiple incumbents vie for the nomination. Other notable figures, such as former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Lt. gov. Juliana Stratton, have also been mentioned as possible candidates.<\/p>\n<p>The seat is regarded as securely Democratic, likely complicating Republican attempts to capitalize on the upcoming election.Tho, the GOP remains optimistic about the broader electoral landscape in 2026, indicating a potential shift in Senate power dynamics.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Durbin Senate retirement opens door for big-name Democrats in solid blue Illinois<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_2104103\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>Longtime Sen. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/dick-durbin\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Dick Durbin<\/a> (D-IL) paved the way for what is sure to be a crowded and competitive primary in <a href=\"http:\/\/washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/illinois\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Illinois<\/a> after he announced Wednesday that he would <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/3388731\/durbin-announces-retirement-senate\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">not seek reelection<\/a> to the Senate in 2026.<\/p>\n<p>Durbin is the fifth sitting senator to announce a retirement, ushering in an opportunity for a younger generation of lawmakers to take the seat he&rsquo;s held since 1997. Several House <a href=\"http:\/\/washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/house-democrats\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Democrats<\/a> have either considered or been pushed by allies to run for the vacant Senate position, including Reps. Lauren Underwood (D-IL), Robin Kelly (D-IL), and Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL).<\/p>\n<div class=\"recommended-stories\">\n<h2>Recommended Stories<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/3388703\/republican-attack-plan-haley-stevens-michigan-senate-race\/\">Republicans may already have an attack plan against Stevens in Michigan Senate race<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/3388731\/durbin-announces-retirement-senate\/\">Durbin announces Senate retirement, clearing way for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/elon-musk-to-temporarily-serve-as-twitter-ceo-after-deal-closes\/\" title=\"Elon Musk to Temporarily Serve as Twitter CEO After Deal Closes\">leadership shake-<\/a>up<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/3388278\/michigan-senate-primary-reopen-democratic-wounds-israel\/\">Michigan Senate primary set to reopen Democratic wounds over Israel&nbsp;<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>The Illinois Senate Democratic primary will likely be one of the most competitive of the 2026 cycle, and could be expensive despite the state&rsquo;s deep-blue hue.<\/p>\n<p>Krishnamoorthi, who raked in $3 million in the first three months of the year and boasts a $19 million war chest, is &ldquo;widely considered to be a contender&rdquo; for the Senate seat, a source familiar with the matter told the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>He praised Durbin in a statement on Wednesday for his &ldquo;<a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\">legendary work ethic&#038;rdquo<\/a>; and the &ldquo;profound and lasting positive impact he&rsquo;s had on Illinois families and our nation.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;A champion for everyday families and an unyielding advocate for the underdog, Senator Durbin represents the true meaning of public service,&rdquo; Krishnamoorthi, the top Democrat on the House Select Committee on China, said.<\/p>\n<p>A source familiar with Kelly&rsquo;s thinking told the <em>Washington Examiner <\/em>ahead of Durbin&rsquo;s retirement that should he forgo reelection, she would &ldquo;seriously consider running.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;She&rsquo;s keeping all options open and looking into it,&rdquo; the source said of Kelly, the former chairwoman of the Illinois Democratic Party, when asked about forming an exploratory committee.<\/p>\n<p>Underwood, who is a co-chair of the Democratic Policy and Communications Committee, is also speculated to be eyeing a bid. Ahead of Durbin&rsquo;s announcement, she sent out a fundraising plea telling supporters she was &ldquo;gearing up and getting ready&rdquo; after a 314 Action poll found her statistically tied with Krishnamoorthi in a four-way race, 33% to 30% respectively.<\/p>\n<p>The primary could put House Democratic leadership in a bind, particularly with three incumbents possibly battling against each other for the nomination.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Other possible entrants into the race include Rahm Emanuel, the former mayor of Chicago. He has stoked speculation that he may run for president in 2028, but his name has been floated in Democratic circles as a statewide candidate.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton told state Democrats she&rsquo;s interested in the seat and would have the financial support of Gov. JB Pritzker (D-IL) should he support her candidacy.<\/p>\n<p>The seat was rated &ldquo;solid Democrat&rdquo; by the nonpartisan <em>Cook Political Report <\/em>when Durbin was still running. In a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/cnn-skips-fact-checking-to-run-with-nurses-unverified-story-about-covid-patients-last-dying-words\/\" title=\"CNN Skips Fact...Checking To Run With Nurse&#039;s Unverified Story About COVID Patients &#039;Last Dying Words&#039;\">blue state<\/a> that hasn&rsquo;t elected a Republican senator since 2010, it is unlikely the seat will be a Republican pickup.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>However, Republicans still remain optimistic about the 2026 map, where the GOP is defending 22 seats to Democrats&rsquo; 13. Two Democratic seats, in Georgia and Michigan, are considered &ldquo;toss ups.&rdquo; Republicans have no toss-up races currently, though the seats of Sens. Susan Collins (R-ME) and Thom Tillis (R-NC) are considered competitive.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;4 Senate Dems already heading for the hills. 2026 is shaping up to be a great year for Senate GOP and they clearly feel that way too,&rdquo; a GOP operative told the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/3388731\/durbin-announces-retirement-senate\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">DURBIN ANNOUNCES SENATE RETIREMENT, CLEARING WAY FOR LEADERSHIP SHAKE-UP<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Senate Leadership Fund Executive Director Alex Latcham said in a statement that Senate Republicans are &ldquo;delivering for the American people and will be rewarded next November.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Democrats see the writing on the wall: Retire now or face bloody primary battles where they&rsquo;ll cave to their extreme base that demands unquestioned loyalty to MS-13 gang members and biological men in girls&rsquo; sports,&rdquo; Latcham said.<\/p>\n<p><em>Ross O&rsquo;Keefe contributed to this report.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p> <script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script>!function(){var g=window;g.googletag=g.googletag||{},g.googletag.cmd=g.googletag.cmd||[],g.googletag.cmd.push(function(){g.googletag.pubads().setTargeting(\"has-featured-video\",\"true\")})}();<\/script><script>var _bp=_bp||[];_bp.push({\"div\":\"Brid_2104103\",\"obj\":{\"id\":\"27789\",\"width\":\"1280\",\"height\":\"720\",\"stickyDirection\":\"below\",\"video\":\"2104103\"}});<\/script><script defer src=\"https:\/\/services.brid.tv\/player\/build\/brid.min.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Durbin&#8217;s retirement clears the path for prominent Democrats in Illinois<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2648,"featured_media":2426565,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/MixCollage-23-Apr-2025-01-44-PM-5470-1024x680.webp","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[3685,51152,53947],"class_list":["post-2426564","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-democrats","tag-durbin-2","tag-senate-retirement"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/MixCollage-23-Apr-2025-01-44-PM-5470-1024x680.webp","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2426564","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2648"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2426564"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2426564\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2426568,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2426564\/revisions\/2426568"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2426565"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2426564"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2426564"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2426564"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}