Dick Durbin

Dick Durbin
Dick Durbin
	Official portrait, 2022
United States Senator; from Illinois
	Incumbent
	Assumed office ; January 3, 1997 Serving with Tammy Duckworth
Preceded by	Paul Simon
Leader
Senate positions
Senate Minority Whip
	Incumbent
	Assumed office ; January 3, 2025
Leader	Chuck Schumer
Preceded by	John Thune
	In office; January 3, 2015 – January 20, 2021
Leader	Harry Reid; Chuck Schumer
Preceded by	John Cornyn
Succeeded by	John Thune
	In office; January 3, 2005 – January 3, 2007
Leader	Harry Reid
Preceded by	Harry Reid
Succeeded by	Trent Lott
Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee
	Incumbent
	Assumed office ; January 3, 2025
Preceded by	Lindsey Graham
Senate Majority Whip
	In office; January 20, 2021 – January 3, 2025
Leader	Chuck Schumer
Preceded by	John Thune
Succeeded by	John Barrasso
	In office; January 3, 2007 – January 3, 2015
Leader	Harry Reid
Preceded by	Mitch McConnell
Succeeded by	John Cornyn
Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee
	In office; February 3, 2021 – January 3, 2025
Preceded by	Lindsey Graham
Succeeded by	Chuck Grassley
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives; from Illinois's 20th district
	In office; January 3, 1983 – January 3, 1997
Preceded by	Paul Findley
Succeeded by	John Shimkus
Personal details
Born	Richard Joseph Durbin; 21 November 1944 (aged 80); East St. Louis, Illinois, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Spouse(s)	Loretta Schaefer (m. 1967)
Children	3
Residence	Springfield, Illinois, U.S.
Education	Georgetown University (BS, JD)
Signature
Website	Senate website
	Dick Durbin's voice
	Dick Durbin supporting the DREAM Act; Recorded December 18, 2010
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Richard Joseph "Dick" Durbin (born November 21, 1944) is the senior United States Senator from Illinois. He is also the Senate Minority Whip, the second highest position in the Democratic Party leadership in the Senate. He is the longest-serving Senate party whip in U.S. history.^[2]

Political career

Working in state legal counsel throughout the 1970s, he made an unsuccessful run for Lieutenant Governor of Illinois in 1978. He was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1982, representing the Springfield-based 20th congressional district.

In 1996, he won election to the U.S. Senate by an unexpected 15 points. He became the Senate Democratic Whip in 2005. From January 3, 2007 to January 3, 2015, he was the Senate Majority Whip because his party had the majority.

Durbin is the only the fifth United States senator from Illinois to serve the position of United States Senate Minority Whip.^[3]

In 2019, Durbin co-signed a Senate resolution affirming support for a two-state solution and opposition to a proposed Israeli annexation of the West Bank.^[4] In November 2023, Durbin was the first U.S. senator to call for a ceasefire in the Gaza war.^[5]

In April 2025, Durbin announced he would not seek reelection in 2026.^[6]

Personal life

Durbin was born on November 21, 1944 in East St. Louis, Illinois.^[7] He graduated from the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service and Georgetown University Law Center. Durbin is married to Loretta Schaefer. They had three children. In 2008, their daughter died from heart problems.^[8]

Dick Durbin Media

Durbin's official portrait in the 98th Congress, 1983
Durbin during the 108th Congress
Durbin speaks during the final night of the 2008 Democratic National Convention in Denver, Colorado, introducing his party's nominee, fellow Illinoisan Barack Obama.
Durbin eating lunch with President Barack Obama, Vice President Joe Biden, and House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer
Durbin and Bob Menendez with Venezuela's interim President Juan Guaidó in February 2020
Durbin speaks at a press conference in El Paso, Texas, with U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, along with Vice President Kamala Harris and Representative Veronica Escobar.
Durbin meeting with Raj Date, then acting director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, to discuss helping consumers compare bank fees
Durbin meets with Elena Kagan.