Durbin retirement to prompt shakeup in Senate Democratic leadership

Washington — Sen. Dick Durbin announced Wednesday he won’t seek reelection in 2026, kickstarting a race for his long-held seat representing Illinois — and a broader shakeup of Democratic leadership in the Senate.

Durbin, 80, has served since 2005 as the Democratic whip, the second-ranking position in Democratic leadership. First under former Democratic leader Harry Reid and now under Chuck Schumer, the Illinois Democrat has shepherded the caucus through votes, while being a prominent voice on the leadership team for two decades.

After the 2026 elections, the whip position will be up for grabs. And the announcement has spurred whispers about a possible successor. 

Sen. Brian Schatz’s name has been floated as being among the list of Democrats who could take up the mantle. Schatz has represented Hawaii in the Senate since 2012, and currently serves as chief deputy whip. Schatz celebrated Durbin’s career in a statement Wednesday, calling the Illinois Democrat a “mentor and friend.”  

Other members of the Senate Democratic leadership could also vie for the No. 2 post. The caucus elevated Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota to the No. 3 position in Senate leadership in the last internal elections, along with Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey to the fourth-ranking post. Both are possible candidates for the whip role, though they each sought the Democratic nomination for the White House in 2020, and could have ambitions beyond the Senate in 2028. The caucus conducts leadership elections behind closed doors before the start of each new Congress. 

Durbin’s retirement also opens up the coveted top Democratic spot on the Senate Judiciary Committee, where he’s been the top Democrat since 2021. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, a Rhode Island Democrat, is widely expected to take his place at the top of the panel. 

The Illinois Democrat’s announcement of his planned departure comes months after the bruising 2024 election, where Democrats lost power in the White House and the Senate — leading some members of the party to call for a new generation of leadership to come forward. And a broader shakeup remains possible, especially as questions about Schumer’s leadership have continued to swirl, though they’ve died down considerably in recent weeks. 

Facing the threat of a government shutdown in March, Schumer, who’s led the caucus since 2017, delivered one of the Democratic votes necessary to propel a GOP-led funding measure to passage after he had initially pledged to oppose it. The move prompted intense frustration among his party, but Schumer has repeatedly defended his decision, arguing that a shutdown would have been worse than the funding measure for the nation, delivering sole power to the executive branch. 

Democrats had widely opposed the measure and expressed frustration with its spending reductions, while warning that it would give the Trump administration and Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency even more latitude to carry out cost-slashing efforts. Some progressives suggested that a shutdown was a better alternative, while others simply took issue with Schumer’s changing stance. But in the end, nine Democrats and independents also voted to advance the measure, including Schumer’s No. 2, Durbin — and Schatz.

As attention is now turning to Senate Democratic leadership, Senate Republicans elected a new slate after the 2024 elections, tapping Sen. John Thune to lead the conference after Sen. Mitch McConnell opted to step down after 17 years at the helm.