Richard J. Durbin
DemocratU.S. Senator, IL| Age | 81 (b. 1944-11-21) |
| Gender | Male |
| In office since | 1983-01-03 (~43 yrs) |
| Race / ethnicity | White; Irish-American and Lithuanian-American heritage (father William Durbin was Irish-American; mother Anna Kutkin was a Lithuanian immigrant) |
| Religion | Roman Catholic |
| Education | B.S. in Foreign Service, Georgetown University (1966); J.D., Georgetown University Law Center (1969) |
| Prior occupation | Attorney; legal counsel to Illinois Lt. Governor Paul Simon (1969–1972); legal counsel to Illinois State Senate Judiciary Committee (1972–1982); adjunct professor at Southern Illinois University School of Medicine (1978–1983) |
| Military service | No |
| Birthplace | East St. Louis, Illinois |
| Languages | English |
| Marital status | Married — Loretta Schaefer Durbin (married 1967) |
| Children | 3 |
| Residence | Springfield, Illinois (also maintains a Chicago condominium) |
Pending research: notable relatives · openly lgbtq.
Career & politics
| First elected | 1982 |
| Previous offices | U.S. Representative, Illinois's 20th Congressional District (1983–1997); elected 1982, served seven terms |
| Committees | Senate Judiciary Committee (Ranking Member, 119th Congress) · Senate Appropriations Committee · Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee |
| Caucuses | Senate Democratic Caucus |
| Leadership | Senate Democratic Whip (2005–present; re-elected for 119th Congress December 2024) · Senate Majority Whip (2007–2015; 2021–2025) · Senate Judiciary Committee Chair (2021–2025) |
| Ideology | Consistently liberal; rated most liberal senator by National Journal (2006); American Conservative Union lifetime rating of 5% (2020); GovTrack ranked him 14th most liberal senator (2024) |
| Signature legislation | Airline Smoking Ban (1988, 1990) — authored legislation banning smoking on domestic commercial flights · Fair Sentencing Act (2010) — reduced crack/powder cocaine sentencing disparity from 100:1 to 18:1 · DREAM Act — introduced in every Congress since 2001 to provide path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants raised in U.S. · Durbin Amendment (Dodd-Frank Act, 2010) — capped debit card interchange fees charged by banks · First Step Act (2018) — co-lead sponsor of landmark bipartisan criminal justice reform · Affordable Care Act (2010) — key Senate advocate and vote-counter as Majority Whip |
Financial
Net worth: disclosed + (2023) · estimate
| Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) – C Fund | fund · $1,000,000 · 2023 |
| Fidelity Government Money Market (SPAXX) | fund · $225,000–$225,000 · 2023 |
| Pfizer Inc. (PFE) — 123 shares | stock · 2023 |
| Springfield, Illinois home | real_estate · 2023 |
| Chicago condominium | real_estate · 2023 |
Top donors: ActBlue
Top industries: Lawyers/Law Firms · Securities & Investment · Real Estate · Health Professionals · Retired
Scandals & crimes ledger
resolved — FEC Administrative Fine — Friends of Dick Durbin Committee (48-Hour Notification) business
The FEC assessed a $4,605 administrative fine against Friends of Dick Durbin Committee (ID: C00148999) for failing to comply with 2014 48-Hour Notification filing requirements. The penalty was upheld and paid in full. This is a routine filing-deadline violation against the campaign committee, not a personal charge against Senator Durbin.