Dear Lord, what could we sinners have done to be deserving of such blessings today?

Senator Dick Durbin (D., Ill.), the second most powerful Senate Democrat, announced Wednesday his decision not to run for another term after nearly three decades in the world's greatest deliberative body.

Durbin, 80, is ending his Senate career after five terms, the longest tenure of any Senator in Illinois history. His retirement opens up a deep blue seat in 2026 and will create a leadership competition for Senate Democrats amid frustration with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D., N.Y.) and generational turnover within the party.

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Durbin becomes the latest Senate Democrat to opt out of running for another term, joining the ranks of Senators Gary Peters (Mich.), Tina Smith (Minn.), and Jeanne Shaheen (N.H.). Peters's seat is expected to be one of the most competitive in the 2026 cycle, while Smith, Shaheen, and Durbin's vacancies are likely to remain in Democratic hands.

The Democratic primary to fill Durbin's seat is expected to be hyper-competitive because Illinois is a safely blue state. Former Vice President Kamala Harris won Illinois with 54.8 percent of the vote over President Donald Trump's 43.8 percent this past November.