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Congress

No. 2 Senate Democrat, Senior Defense Appropriator Durbin Won’t Seek Reelection

By Matthew Beinart

Wednesday, April 23rd, 2025

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No. 2 Senate Democrat, Senior Defense Appropriator Durbin Won’t Seek Reelection

Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) speaks during a press conference held in the James R. Thompson Center, Chicago, Illinois, February 26, 2021. (U.S. National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Aaron Rodriguez)

Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), the no. 2 Senate Democrat and a senior defense appropriator, announced Wednesday he will not seek reelection in 2026. Durbin’s decision is likely to set off a highly contested Democratic primary for the open Illinois seat. “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 am announcing today…

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