Dick Durbin Says He Will Not Endorse Successor for Senate Seat

(MENAFN) On Thursday, Dick Durbin, the second-ranking Democrat in the U.S. Senate, announced that he would not support any candidate to succeed him in his Senate seat.

Durbin, 80, shared that many potential candidates have reached out to him, expressing interest in running for his position.

However, they assured him that they would not compete against him but were seeking his endorsement.

Durbin, who recently declared that he would not seek reelection, emphasized that he would not be endorsing any particular individual for the role.

He acknowledged that while he hoped not to have to intervene, he wouldn't completely rule out the possibility of offering support in an extreme scenario. "I just think it’s up to the voters, Democratic voters, to make this choice moving forward," he stated, reinforcing that the decision rests with the electorate.

Durbin, who was first elected to the Senate in 1996, has represented Illinois in the upper chamber for five terms.

Prior to his Senate career, he served in the House of Representatives, having been elected in 1982 to represent Springfield’s 20th district.

The announcement sparked early interest in the race, with Illinois Lieutenant Governor Juliana Stratton becoming the first Democrat to formally declare her candidacy for the seat.

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