Dick Durbin

Dick Durbin Bio

Richard Joseph Durbin, known as Dick Durbin, is an American politician and attorney who has served as the senior United States senator from Illinois since 1997. A member of the Democratic Party, Durbin has held the role of Senate Democratic Whip since 2005, making him the longest-serving party whip in United States Senate history. He chaired the Senate Judiciary Committee from 2021 to 2025 and led the confirmation hearings for Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson.

Before joining the Senate, Durbin represented a Springfield-based district in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1983 to 1997. He is a graduate of the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service and the Georgetown University Law Center. In April 2025, he announced that he would not seek reelection in 2026.

Early Life and Background

Richard Joseph Durbin was born on November 21, 1944, in East St. Louis, Illinois. He was raised in a working-class household by his father, William Durbin, and his mother, Anna, whose maiden name was Kutkin. His father was a longtime smoker, a fact that later influenced Durbin’s strong stance against tobacco.

Durbin attended Assumption High School in Illinois, where he completed his secondary education. He went on to enroll at the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree. Following his undergraduate studies, he continued at the Georgetown University Law Center, where he received his Juris Doctor degree and qualified for the bar.

Path to US Politics

After completing his legal education, Durbin returned to Illinois and worked in state legal counsel throughout the 1970s, building a foundation in government law. In 1978, he made an unsuccessful run for lieutenant governor of Illinois, an early introduction to statewide politics that gave him valuable campaign experience.

Following that campaign, Durbin maintained a private law practice and co-owned a pub in Springfield, Illinois. These years allowed him to remain connected to the Springfield community, which would later serve as the base for his congressional career. In 1982, he won election to the U.S. House of Representatives, beginning a long tenure in federal office.

Dick Durbin Career

Early Career (1983-1996)

Durbin was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1982, representing Illinois’s 20th congressional district, based in Springfield. He was sworn in in 1983 and served seven consecutive House terms, focusing on issues such as tobacco regulation, education, and consumer protections. During his time in the House, he introduced a landmark 1987 bill banning smoking on short airline flights, which helped pave the way for the 1989 ban on smoking on all domestic flights.

Throughout the late 1980s and early 1990s, Durbin built a reputation as a thoughtful legislator willing to work across the aisle. He proposed amendments to expand drug and tobacco prevention education in schools. By the mid-1990s, he was widely seen as a rising figure in Illinois Democratic politics, preparing to make a run for the U.S. Senate.

Senate Election and Early Terms (1997-2004)

In 1996, Durbin won the Democratic nomination to replace retiring Senator Paul Simon, a longtime friend. Facing Republican State Representative Al Salvi in the general election, Durbin benefited from President Bill Clinton’s strong performance in Illinois and won by 15 points. He was sworn in as the senior senator from Illinois in 1997.

Durbin was reelected in 2002 by a wide margin, solidifying his position in the state. In November 1998, Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle appointed Durbin as Assistant Democratic Whip, placing him on a path toward Senate leadership. After the 2004 elections, Durbin became the Democratic Whip in the 109th Congress, the first senator from Illinois to hold that role since Everett Dirksen in the late 1950s.

Senate Leadership Era (2005-Present)

Since 2005, Durbin has served continuously as the Senate Democratic Whip, working under Majority Leader Harry Reid until 2017 and under Minority Leader Chuck Schumer thereafter. He has held both majority and minority whip roles across multiple Congresses, making him the longest-serving whip in U.S. Senate history. In 2021, he became chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, the first time a sitting whip of either party had led that committee.

As Judiciary Committee chair, Durbin led the Supreme Court confirmation hearings for Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson in 2022. He has also been active on immigration, criminal justice reform, gun control, and consumer protection issues. In April 2025, he announced he would not seek reelection in 2026, signaling the end of a Senate career that began in 1997.

Notable Events and Milestones

One of the most defining moments of Durbin’s career came in 2005, when he compared U.S. interrogation practices at Guantanamo Bay to those of Nazi regimes, drawing intense national criticism. He later apologized for his choice of words. He also led bipartisan efforts on immigration reform as a member of the Gang of Eight in 2013 and championed the DREAM Act to provide a pathway to legal status for certain undocumented immigrants brought to the U.S. as children.

Dick Durbin Career Wins

Durbin has won five Senate elections in Illinois, beginning with his 1996 victory over Republican Al Salvi. He was reelected in 2002, 2008, 2014, and 2020, each time by a margin of at least 10 points. His consistent statewide success has made him one of the most enduring figures in Illinois political history.

Senate Election Highlights

Durbin’s first Senate victory came in 1996, capitalizing on President Clinton’s strong showing in Illinois. He followed that with commanding wins in 2002, 2008, 2014, and 2020, demonstrating lasting voter confidence in his leadership. His most recent reelection in 2020 reaffirmed his status as the dean of Illinois’s congressional delegation.

Other Wins and Achievements

Before his Senate career, Durbin won seven consecutive elections to the U.S. House of Representatives starting in 1982, building a strong record in his Springfield-based district. He was also honored in 2013 with the inaugural Nancy Pelosi Award for Immigration and Civil Rights Policy from the Immigrant Legal Resource Center for his leadership on the DREAM Act. In 2025, the Archdiocese of Chicago announced a lifetime achievement award for his advocacy of immigrant communities, which he ultimately declined amid political controversy.

Dick Durbin Family

Family Background and Personal Lineage

Durbin is the son of William Durbin and Anna Durbin, whose maiden name was Kutkin. He grew up in East St. Louis, Illinois, in a tight-knit family shaped by his father’s work and his parents’ commitment to community. His father’s death from lung cancer, after years of heavy smoking, profoundly influenced Durbin’s lifelong advocacy against tobacco use.

Personal Life

Durbin married Loretta Schaefer in 1967, and the couple has three children: Christine, Jennifer, and Paul. The family experienced deep loss in 2008 when their daughter Christine died at age 40 after several weeks in the hospital due to complications from a congenital heart condition. In June 2024, Durbin underwent a hip replacement surgery. He is Catholic and has been a longtime resident of Illinois.