Richard Durbin

DemocratU.S. Senator · Illinois

U.S. Senator since 1997 · U.S. Representative 1983–1997

Current term: Jan 3, 2021 – Jan 3, 2027
Next election: Nov 3, 2026
Committees: Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry; Appropriations; Judiciary

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No ratings published yet. A “Kept” rating means a promise was carried out as stated. It is not an endorsement of the promise. What the ratings mean

What they promised

No promises on record yet

We haven’t published any promises for Richard Durbin yet.

How they voted

roll-call votes: 915
with their party: 92.9%
missed (2.7%): 25

PN 1129
Keith Sonderling to be Secretary of Labor · Sep 30, 2026
Not voting
PN 1129
Keith Sonderling to be Secretary of Labor · Sep 30, 2026
Nay
H.R. 9340
Ratepayer Protection Act · Sep 30, 2026
Nay
H.R. 7008
Stop Insider Trading Act · Sep 30, 2026
Nay

All votes

Where they come from

Offices held

U.S. Senator, Illinois · 1997 – now
Senate Minority Whip · 2025 – now
Senate Majority Whip · 2023 – 2025
Senate Majority Whip · 2021 – 2023

Work before office

Lawyer, professor

Education

Walsh School of Foreign Service
Bachelor’s degree, Georgetown University, 1966
Juris Doctor, Georgetown University Law Center, 1969

From congress-legislators and Wikidata. Researched facts say who checked them.

Full background and sources

Background

Born: Nov 21, 1944 · East St. Louis, Illinois; Source: congress-legislators (opens in a new tab) · Wikidata (opens in a new tab)
Education: Walsh School of Foreign Service; Bachelor’s degree, Georgetown University, 1966; Juris Doctor, Georgetown University Law Center, 1969; Source: Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Work outside office: Lawyer, professor; Source: Wikidata (opens in a new tab)
First elected to Congress: 1982, U.S. House; Source: congress-legislators (opens in a new tab)
Military service: None recorded

Birth dates come from congress-legislators. Most other facts come from Wikidata, an openly edited database, and link to the entry they came from. Facts we researched cite their sources and say who checked them: “AI verified” means an independent AI check, not yet our editors. “None recorded” means our sources don’t list it, not that it didn’t happen. How we source backgrounds

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Career

Offices held

Path

U.S. House
U.S. Senate

1997 – now, current,Federal
U.S. Senator, Illinois
Elected 1996 · reelected 4 times · current term ends Jan 3, 2027
2025 – now, current,Federal
Senate Minority Whip
Chamber leadership
2023 – 2025, past,Federal
Senate Majority Whip
Chamber leadership
2021 – 2023, past,Federal
Senate Majority Whip
Chamber leadership
2021, past,Federal
Senate Minority Whip
Chamber leadership
2019 – 2021, past,Federal
Senate Minority Whip
Chamber leadership
2017 – 2019, past,Federal
Senate Minority Whip
Chamber leadership
2015 – 2017, past,Federal
Senate Minority Whip
Chamber leadership
2013 – 2015, past,Federal
Senate Majority Whip
Chamber leadership
2011 – 2013, past,Federal
Senate Majority Whip
Chamber leadership
2009 – 2011, past,Federal
Senate Majority Whip
Chamber leadership
2007 – 2009, past,Federal
Senate Majority Whip
Chamber leadership
2005 – 2007, past,Federal
Senate Minority Whip
Chamber leadership
1983 – 1997, past,Federal
U.S. Representative, Illinois’s 20th district
Elected 1982 · reelected 6 times

Current
Past

Source: congress-legislators (opens in a new tab), a public-domain record of every member of Congress. Wikidata lists no other offices for this person.

In office

119th Congress

Committees · 119th Congress

Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry
Subcommittees: Commodities, Derivatives, Risk Management, and Trade; Livestock, Dairy, Poultry, and Food Safety
Appropriations
Subcommittees: Department of Defense; Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies; Energy and Water Development; Financial Services and General Government; State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs; Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies
Judiciary · Ranking member
Subcommittees: Crime and Counterterrorism (ranking member)

Leadership

Senate Minority WhipJan 2025 – now
Senate Majority WhipJan 2023 – Jan 2025
Senate Majority WhipJan 2021 – Jan 2023
Senate Minority WhipJan 2021 – Jan 2021
Senate Minority WhipJan 2019 – Jan 2021
Senate Minority WhipJan 2017 – Jan 2019
Senate Minority WhipJan 2015 – Jan 2017
Senate Majority WhipJan 2013 – Jan 2015
Senate Majority WhipJan 2011 – Jan 2013
Senate Majority WhipJan 2009 – Jan 2011
Senate Majority WhipJan 2007 – Jan 2009
Senate Minority WhipJan 2005 – Jan 2007

Voting record

How we count

92.9%

Votes with the Democratic majority

Of yea and nay votes this Congress

Missed votes

2.7% of roll calls · Senate median 2.2%2.7% of 915 roll calls · Senate median 2.2%

915

Senate roll calls

Jan 9, 2025 – Sep 30, 2026

Votes with party: how often a yea or nay matched most Senate Democrats on the same roll call. Missed: roll calls where the member was recorded as not voting. Senate median counts members who served most of the 119th Congress.

How we count

Recent votes

10 most recent

Date	Measure	Question	Durbin’s vote	Result
Sep 30, 2026	PN 1129 Keith Sonderling to be Secretary of Labor	On the nomination	Not voting	Confirmed 47–41
Sep 30, 2026	PN 1129 Keith Sonderling to be Secretary of Labor	On cloture	Nay	Agreed to 53–47
Sep 30, 2026	H.R. 9340 Ratepayer Protection Act	On cloture, motion to proceed	Nay	Rejected 57–43 (60 needed)
Sep 30, 2026	H.R. 7008 Stop Insider Trading Act	On cloture, motion to proceed	Nay	Rejected 53–47 (60 needed)
Sep 29, 2026	S.Res. 852 A resolution requesting information on Israel's human rights practices pursuant to section 502B(c) of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961.	On motion to discharge	Yea	Rejected 47–51
Sep 29, 2026	S.J.Res. 197 A joint resolution providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services of the Department of Health and Human Services relating to "Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, HHS Notice of Benefit and Payment Parameters for 2027; and Basic Health Program".	On motion to proceed	Yea	Rejected 48–51
Sep 28, 2026	S. 4668 Protect College Sports Act of 2026	On passage	Yea	Passed 77–22
Sep 28, 2026	S.Amdt. 6835 To establish certain standards with respect to coaches of varsity sports teams.	On the amendment	Yea	Rejected 47–52
Sep 28, 2026	S.Amdt. 6805 To increase the limitation on funding for post-eligibility insurance and catastrophic injury for student athletes.	On the amendment	Yea	Rejected 49–50
Sep 28, 2026	S.Amdt. 6760 To limit price increases for college athletics tickets.	On the amendment	Nay	Rejected 42–54

Sep 30, 2026 · PN 1129Not voting
Keith Sonderling to be Secretary of Labor
On the nomination · Confirmed 47–41
Sep 30, 2026 · PN 1129Nay
Keith Sonderling to be Secretary of Labor
On cloture · Agreed to 53–47
Sep 30, 2026 · H.R. 9340Nay
Ratepayer Protection Act
On cloture, motion to proceed · Rejected 57–43 (60 needed)
Sep 30, 2026 · H.R. 7008Nay
Stop Insider Trading Act
On cloture, motion to proceed · Rejected 53–47 (60 needed)
Sep 29, 2026 · S.Res. 852Yea
A resolution requesting information on Israel's human rights practices pursuant to section 502B(c) of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961.
On motion to discharge · Rejected 47–51
Sep 29, 2026 · S.J.Res. 197Yea
A joint resolution providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services of the Department of Health and Human Services relating to "Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, HHS Notice of Benefit and Payment Parameters for 2027; and Basic Health Program".
On motion to proceed · Rejected 48–51
Sep 28, 2026 · S. 4668Yea
Protect College Sports Act of 2026
On passage · Passed 77–22
Sep 28, 2026 · S.Amdt. 6835Yea
To establish certain standards with respect to coaches of varsity sports teams.
On the amendment · Rejected 47–52
Sep 28, 2026 · S.Amdt. 6805Yea
To increase the limitation on funding for post-eligibility insurance and catastrophic injury for student athletes.
On the amendment · Rejected 49–50
Sep 28, 2026 · S.Amdt. 6760Nay
To limit price increases for college athletics tickets.
On the amendment · Rejected 42–54

Richard Durbin

Promise scorecard

What they promised

How they voted

Where they come from

Offices held

Work before office

Education

Background

Career

U.S. Senator, Illinois

Senate Minority Whip

Senate Majority Whip

Senate Majority Whip

Senate Minority Whip

Senate Minority Whip

Senate Minority Whip

Senate Minority Whip

Senate Majority Whip

Senate Majority Whip

Senate Majority Whip

Senate Majority Whip

Senate Minority Whip

U.S. Representative, Illinois’s 20th district

In office

Committees · 119th Congress

Leadership

Voting record

Recent votes

Sponsored bills

Richard Durbin

Promise scorecard

What they promised

How they voted

Where they come from

Offices held

Work before office

Education

Background

Career

U.S. Senator, Illinois

Senate Minority Whip

Senate Majority Whip

Senate Majority Whip

Senate Minority Whip

Senate Minority Whip

Senate Minority Whip

Senate Minority Whip

Senate Majority Whip

Senate Majority Whip

Senate Majority Whip

Senate Majority Whip

Senate Minority Whip

U.S. Representative, Illinois’s 20th district

In office

Committees · 119th Congress

Leadership

Voting record

Recent votes

Sponsored bills