Posted on 04/23/2025 8:54:35 AM PDT by DFG
Democratic U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin will not seek a sixth term next year, confirming to WBEZ in an Illinois exclusive that he will leave office in 2027 in a long-awaited move certain to set off a massive, intraparty succession fight.
“I’ve decided not to run for re-election. So a year and a half from now, I’ll be wrapping up. I plan on working full-time until that moment, but I’m not going to be waging a campaign for re-election,” Durbin said during an interview in downtown Chicago.
A major reason for his decision boiled down to one thing: his age. By the time a sixth term would end, Durbin would be 88.
“It’s time,” Illinois’ 80-year-old senior senator said. “You observe your colleagues and watch what happens. For some of them, there’s this miraculous aging process where they never seem to get too old.
“Take Bernie Sanders, for example, who’s older than myself, or Chuck Grassley, who still does a town meeting in every county of the state each year,” he continued, referring to Vermont’s octogenarian independent U.S. senator and to Iowa’s nonagenarian Republican senator, who both are older than Durbin.
“But for a number of other people, they’re not so lucky,” he continued. “So, you watch aging, and I try to gauge it to the point where I can walk out the front door. I don’t have to be carried out. I feel that way now. I’m physically and mentally strong. But I don’t want to wait too long and test fate.”
Durbin had kept a tight lid on his decision, sharing news with a very close circle of friends. Durbin notified his staff Wednesday morning that he would not be seeking re-election.
WBEZ and The New York Times first reported Durbin’s decision
(Excerpt) Read more at wbez.org ...
‘Bye.
About damn time.
Adios DICK!
Yay! Little Dick giving it up! I guess he isn’t ready to kiss Sandy Cortez’s and MS-13’s @$$es.
Bye Dick.
Bye.
Despite his “evolution” from a pro-life and pro-gun moderate into a flaming liberal, Durbin has been subjected to many attacks from leftists and progressives for not being Bernie Sanders.
Good, he always was a Dick.
Take the other old turds with ya.
Too bad the Republicans have literally zero viable candidates, not (seeing as how this is Illinois) that it would matter if they did.
The best possible outcome is that some supposedly marginal House seat opens up because the Democrat incumbent decides to take a shot at the Senate.
Due to the current Illinois Democrat gerrymander of U.S. House districts — easily the most ludicrous gerrymander in the entire country, and not a peep from the GOP — there aren’t many ACTUALLY marginal House seats, though some give the illusion of being that way under certain conditions (like a ridiculously unlikely “red wave”).
Yes, he was a worthless Dick, but he’ll be replaced by somebody at least as worthless, once the Central Committee decides on who’s next.
isn’t durbin a frequent flyer on the lolita express?
I thought I saw his name on “the list”??
Durbin’s replacement probably won’t be much better.
5.56mm
Dick Durbin’s “evolution” was pragmatic, until it wasn’t any more.
The party left him because he could no longer nimbly jump through the hoops. Old dogs get arthritis, and it is painful for them to even move about.
My only surprise it that he didn’t die in office. But there’s still time...
The state of Chicago will deliver another shining winner, I am sure.
I feel bad that Illinois has no voice against Chicago.
Good news bump...any chance the GOP can pick this seat up?
BTTT
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