Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) raised less than $43,000 in the first three months of 2025, fueling fresh speculation that he will not run for a sixth term in the Senate.

The first quarter total, reported to the Federal Election Commission ahead of a Tuesday deadline, pales compared to other in-cycle senators and suggests Durbin, 80, is doing little to fundraise for another reelection campaign.

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He has not yet announced his 2026 plans, but Illinois Democrats generally expect he will retire and have already begun to mount a shadow primary to replace him in Congress.

One of the would-be contenders for the seat, Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL), raised $3 million in the first quarter, padding what is now a $19 million war chest. 

Juliana Stratton, the Illinois lieutenant governor, has also signaled that should she run, she would receive financial backing from Gov. JB Pritzker (D-IL), a billionaire whose family built the Hyatt hotel empire.

Durbin, the No. 2 Senate Democrat since 2005, has teased that an announcement will come as soon as next week, making him one of the last senators up for reelection to reveal their plans. His retirement would create a seismic shake-up beyond Illinois politics, clearing the way for a younger senator to replace him as Democratic whip.

Sen. Brian Schatz (D-HI), his chief deputy on the whip team, is considered one of the leading contenders, while Sens. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Cory Booker (D-NJ) climbed the leadership ladder in December.

Should Durbin retire, he would also give up his position as the top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) would be next in line to succeed him.

ILLINOIS DEMOCRATS WAIT IN THE WINGS FOR DURBIN 2026 ANNOUNCEMENT

Across the Senate map, Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) raised almost $2.5 million in the first quarter of 2025 ahead of what is expected to be a bruising primary against Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME), another vulnerable senator, brought in more than $570,000 as she prepares to run for her sixth term.

Several of Durbin’s Democratic colleagues will be retiring in 2026, among them Sens. Gary Peters (D-MI), Tina Smith (D-MN), and Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH).