Illinois Senate: Durbin’s Retirement Sets Up Crowded Democratic Primary
April 23, 2025 · 4:01 PM EDT
Dick Durbin, the Senate Democratic whip and a five-term incumbent, made it official today that he will not seek re-election next year. Durbin’s decision, which had been telegraphed for the past several weeks, will likely kick off a crowded and expensive primary to replace him.
Durbin is the fifth senator to announce their departure from the chamber, joining Democrats Gary Peters of Michigan, Tina Smith of Minnesota, Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire and Republican Mitch McConnell of Kentucky. Five Senate open seats is the average per cycle going back nearly a century.
Several Democrats had already begun laying the groundwork for a Senate bid prior to Durbin’s announcement. Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton, Reps. Raja Krishnamoorthi, Robin Kelly, and Lauren Underwood have all expressed an interest in running and could mount credible campaigns.
Stratton, an attorney and former state legislator, reportedly has already secured the support of Gov. J.B. Pritzker, her running mate in 2018 and 2020. That support could come with significant financial backing, as the billionaire governor has poured hundreds of millions of dollars into his own campaigns and the state party over the years. Unlike her potential opponents, Stratton is not a federal official, so she has not been able to stockpile cash in a campaign account ahead of a potential bid.
Krishnamoorthi, who represents the western and northwestern Chicago suburbs and has served in Congress since 2017, reported a whopping $19 million in his congressional campaign account on March 31, all money he can put toward a Senate run. The former staffer for Barack Obama narrowly lost a statewide Democratic primary for comptroller in 2010.
Kelly represents the south Chicago suburbs and parts of the city’s far southeast side. A longtime state legislator, Kelly briefly served as state party chairwoman after the ousting of longtime party boss Mike Madigan in 2021. She reported $2 million in her campaign account on March 31.
At 38, Underwood is the youngest of the potential field, and has also been the most explicit about her intent to run, telling supporters weeks ago she was gearing up for a campaign. A registered nurse, Underwood flipped a historically GOP seat in the outer Chicago suburbs in 2018 in an upset, and prevailed in a close 2020 re-election before her seat was redrawn to be less competitive, leading to larger victories in 2022 and 2024. She reported $1.1 million in the bank on March 31.
Republicans have been unable to compete in statewide races in Illinois for over a decade, and have not won a Senate race since Mark Kirk’s upset win in 2010. Rep. Darin LaHood didn’t rule out a run, telling NOTUS earlier this year he didn’t want to “close the door” on the possibility. But he or any other Republican would be a serious underdog, especially during a midterm election with Donald Trump in the White House.
Democrats need a net gain of four seats for a majority in the midterm elections.