Richard Joseph Durbin

Democrat senior Senator of Illinois

Representative
Illinois, district 20
January 3, 1983 - January 3, 1985
Representative
Illinois, district 20
January 3, 1985 - January 3, 1987
Representative
Illinois, district 20
January 6, 1987 - January 3, 1989
Representative
Illinois, district 20
January 3, 1989 - January 3, 1991
Representative
Illinois, district 20
January 3, 1991 - January 3, 1993
Representative
Illinois, district 20
January 5, 1993 - January 3, 1995
Representative
Illinois, district 20
January 4, 1995 - January 3, 1997
Senator
Illinois
January 7, 1997 - January 3, 2003
Senator
Illinois
January 7, 2003 - January 3, 2009
Senator
Illinois
January 6, 2009 - January 3, 2015
Senator
Illinois
January 6, 2015 - January 3, 2021
Senator
Illinois
January 3, 2021 - January 3, 2027

202-224-2152

@SenatorDurbin

durbin.senate.gov

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Congresses Served

House Terms

Senate Terms

January 1, 1944 (80 years old)

Birthday

Serving as the senior United States senator from Illinois since 1997
Member of the Democratic Party
Served as the Senate Democratic whip since 2005, holding the position of Senate majority whip since 2021
Chairs the Senate Judiciary Committee and led the Ketanji Brown Jackson Supreme Court nomination hearings
Born in East St. Louis, Illinois
Graduated from the School of Foreign Service and the Georgetown University Law Center
Worked in state legal counsel throughout the 1970s and made an unsuccessful run for lieutenant governor of Illinois in 1978
Maintained a private law practice and co-owned a pub in Springfield
Elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1982, representing the Springfield-based 20th congressional district for seven terms before his Senate career
Has served under Senate Democratic leaders Harry Reid and Chuck Schumer
Longest-serving Senate party whip in U.S. history as of 2024
Dean of Illinois’s congressional delegation
Involved in various committee assignments and caucus memberships, including the Bi-Cameral High-Speed & Intercity Passenger Rail Caucus and the Senate Diabetes Caucus
Known for his political positions on social issues, criminal justice reform, gun control, HIV/AIDS, immigration, tobacco regulation, and freedom of expression
Has a history of advocating for child care, financial crisis management, trade, environmental protection, and transportation
Involved in foreign and military policy discussions, including positions on China, Darfur, Myanmar, Guantanamo Bay, and the impeachment trials of Bill Clinton and Donald Trump
Voted to approve the Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Terrorists, granting broad military powers for the 2001 U.S. invasion of Afghanistan and later military interventions
Opposed the Iraq War, voting against the joint resolution authorizing the Iraq War
Spearheaded a nonbinding resolution warning against allowing the Russian government to question U.S. diplomats and other officials
Criticized for attempting to remove PAC radio advertisements and for conflict of interest issues related to his wife’s lobbying activities
Roman Catholic, barred from receiving communion in the Springfield Diocese due to his voting record on abortion
Involved in film and television appearances, including documentaries on political and social issues