As he prepares to retire next year, U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Illinois) is returning to where his political career started to give a farewell address on Wednesday.
Durbin started his political career in Springfield in 1969, as legal counsel to then Lt. Gov. Paul Simon, before Durbin was elected to the Illinois Senate in 1976.
In 1982, Durbin was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, and he was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1996, becoming the longest-serving U.S. Senator in Illinois history. He is stepping down at the end of his term next year.
On Wednesday, the Illinois House and Illinois Senate will hold a joint session at noon to honor Durbin’s career, and Durbin will be invited to speak to lawmakers.
"Dick Durbin’s story is inseparable from the story of modern Illinois," said Illinois state Rep. Kam Buckner (D-Chicago), who filed the resolution honoring Durbin. "Before Washington, before Senate leadership, he built his career here as a lawyer, educator, and counsel to the Illinois Senate. So when the General Assembly welcomes Senator Durbin on May 27, we are not simply welcoming him — we are welcoming him back."
Region: Chicago,Politics,City: Chicago
via Politics – CBS Chicago https://ift.tt/bnm1KpM
May 27, 2026 at 11:28AM
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