Sen. Richard J. Durbin of Illinois, the No. 2 Democrat in the Senate, will not seek reelection to a sixth term next year and will retire in January 2027.
Mr. Durbin, 80, made the announcement Wednesday in a video on social media titled “Time to Pass the Torch.”
“The decision of whether to run for reelection has not been easy. I truly love the job of being a United States senator,” he said. “But in my heart, I know it’s time to pass the torch. So, I am announcing today that I will not be seeking reelection at the end of my term.”
Mr. Durbin has been in Washington since 1983, when he was first elected to represent Illinois’ 20th district in the House. He was elected to the Senate in 1997.
He currently serves as Senate Minority Whip, the second in command behind Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer of New York. Mr. Durbin is also the top Democrat on the Judiciary Committee.
Mr. Durbin’s exit opens yet another seat that Democrats will look to defend in their pursuit of recapturing the majority in the upper chamber. He joins fellow Senate Democrats Tina Smith of Minnesota, Gary Peters of Michigan and Jean Shaheen of New Hampshire, who all announced their retirements earlier this year.
