Whip watch: Dick Durbin gives tearful goodbye as Dem power play begins for No. 2 Senate spot
With the upcoming departure of longtime Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., in 2026, a battle will soon commence for his coveted role as Senate minority whip, the second-highest leadership role in the caucus next to Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer.
"There comes a point in your career when the torch must be passed, and I've reached that point," Durbin said during a press conference in Springfield Thursday. "I will not be seeking re-election to this United States Senate seat."
Several names have already been floated for the whip job, including some typically vocal senators and others whose quiet policy chops appear just as attractive.
One candidate mentioned has been Hawaii Sen. Brian Schatz.
Schatz, 52, is in his third term and is Durbin's current chief deputy whip as well as deputy conference secretary, a job involving communication and strategy for Senate Democrats.
He is also the top Democrat on the Senate Indian Affairs Committee, given the Aloha State's heavy native population.
Schatz has been active behind the scenes for liberals, placing holds on hundreds of Trump nominees for State Department positions in response to the president's efforts to shutter USAID.
A former member of the Green Party in Hawaii, he is also considered a bridge between progressives and mainstream liberals.
A former top aide to previous Senate mainstays Harry Reid, D-Nev., and Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., told The Hill it's hard to tell how leadership elections will go because they're closed-door votes, but "as far as I can tell, Sen. Schatz seems to be in a pretty good position if he wants to take the leap."
Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., is rumored to be a possible successor to Durbin as chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, according to Politico.
Whitehouse has raised his profile as another one of President Donald Trump's loudest critics, regularly creating viral clips of combativeness with administration nominees in the various hearings he's sat in on.
Another lawmaker mentioned is Washington Sen. Patty Murray, who had been third in line to the presidency until the GOP took back the Senate.
Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa., now holds that role, which is typically held by the longest-serving senator of the majority party.
Murray is also the top Democrat on the influential Senate Appropriations Committee.
Frequently called the "mom in tennis shoes" who ran for the Senate in 1992 as a relative political newcomer, Murray once said she and others "got into the U.S. Senate because we were mad."
She lobbied officials in Olympia to save an education program from budget cuts when she was told "you can't make a difference," according to a biography from the Washington Secretary of State's office.
That populist history, along with Murray's long tenure and closeness with leadership, could also make her a lock to succeed Durbin.
Fox News Digital reached out to Schatz, Whitehouse and Murray for comment but did not immediately hear back.
Durbin spoke tearfully about his decision to retire during a press conference outside the same Springfield home where he announced his first Senate run nearly 30 years ago.
He hearkened back to his risky move to give up a "safe House seat."
"So, for the last 29 years, I've been vindicated that that decision paid off," said Durbin.
"I love this job. I think it's a terrific job, but I also know reality."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Hill
an hour ago
- The Hill
Homan warns California officials can be arrested if they disrupt ICE raids
Border czar Tom Homan on Sunday warned California officials could face arrest and prosecution if they 'cross the line' following President Trump's deployment of National Guard troops in Los Angeles to quell ongoing immigration protests. Trump ordered at least 2,000 National Guard members to assist Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents after two days of clashes with demonstrators, despite state and city leaders saying they had not asked for assistance. Homan said Trump's order was not only to protect law enforcement officers but also to 'protect this community.' 'The rhetoric is so high against ICE officers in this city that it's a matter of time before someone gets seriously hurt,' Homan told NBC News's Jacob Soboroff in an interview slated for broadcast Sunday night. 'We've got help coming, and we're going to do our job, and we're going to continue doing that job.' California Gov. Gavin Newsom and L.A. Mayor Karen Bass, both Democrats, have criticized Trump's decision to call in the National Guard, warning it only risks escalating tensions. Both also pointed out on Sunday that Trump had posted about the National Guard's 'great job' before any troops had arrived in L.A. When Soboroff asked if Homan's past threats to arrest anyone who stood in the way of Trump's enforcement operations were directed at Newsom and Bass, Homan clarified he would 'say that about anybody.' 'It's a felony to knowingly conceal and harbor an illegal alien,' Homan said. 'It's a felony to impede law enforcement from doing their job.' Homan said he didn't think Bass had 'crossed the line yet,' but added 'we will ask DOJ to prosecute' if needed. 'What we're saying is we're not going to tolerate people attacking our officers,' he added. On Sunday morning, Newsom, in a post on X, claimed the federal government is 'taking over the California National Guard' because 'they want a spectacle.' 'Don't give them one. Never use violence. Speak out peacefully,' he added. In the NBC News interview, Homan bashed Newsom's comments and called him 'an embarrassment for the state.' 'I have absolutely no respect for this governor,' Homan said. 'Criminal aliens are walking in this state every day because of his government policy. I don't care what the governor thinks of me. I'm not running a popularity contest.'
New York Post
an hour ago
- New York Post
DNC chair, almost crying, claims David Hogg is making it impossible to lead party: ‘No one knows who the hell I am'
DNC Chair Ken Martin vented about party Vice Chairman and Parkland shooting survivor David Hogg to the point of near tears in a recent call with top Dem brass, saying, 'No one knows who the hell I am. 'I'll be very honest with you: For the first time in my 100 days on this job, the other night I said to myself for the first time, 'I don't know if I wanna do this anymore,' ' Martin bluntly admitted in leaked audio of the May 15 Zoom meeting, which was obtained by Politico, Martin, who was elected boss of the Democratic National Committee in February, bemoaned the shadow that Hogg cast over him by igniting a firestorm within the party over his plans to fund primary challenges against incumbent Dems. Advertisement 'No one knows who the hell I am, right?' Martin said during the call, in which he singled out Hogg, who was in the meeting. 'I'm trying to get my sea legs underneath of me and actually develop any amount of credibility so I can go out there and raise the money and do the job I need to put ourselves in a position to win,' the chairman said. 'I don't think you intended this, but you essentially destroyed any chance I have to show the leadership that I need to,' he said, directly addressing Hogg. 'So it's really frustrating.' Advertisement 3 Ken Martin didn't mince words about his frustrations with DNC Vice Chair David Hogg in leaked audio. AP 3 Hogg has been working to fund Democratic primaries against safe DEM incumbents despite his role as a party's vice chair. Getty Images for Fast Company Toward the end of the leaked audio, Martin's voice grew softer, and he paused at least twice, appearing to be on the verge of choking up. The DNC boss told Hogg, 'I deeply respect you' and 'was looking forward to working with you' while griping about the dilemma that the 25-year-old school mass-shooting survivor created. Advertisement Martin, referring to the state of the DNC, said, 'It has plenty of warts, and we're all trying to change those, for sure, but the longer we continue this fight, the harder it is for us to actually do what we all want to do, which is make a difference in this country again.' About 10 people were reportedly on the call. The Post reached out to the DNC and Hogg for comment. Hogg later posted text messages with the Politico reporter who broke the story as evidence that he didn't leak the audio. Advertisement Martin was meanwhile adamant that 'I'm not going anywhere' after the leaked audio surfaced. 'I took this job to fight Republicans, not Democrats,' he said in a statement obtained by Politico. 'As I said when I was elected, our fight is not within the Democratic Party, our fight is and has to be solely focused on Donald Trump and the disastrous Republican agenda. 'That's the work that I will continue to do every day.' Hogg announced in April that his 'Leaders We Deserve' group would shell out about $20 million to meddle in Democratic primaries located in safe districts to edge out what it considers complacent incumbents in favor of ones who are more feisty. 3 Hogg has argued that the party needs to become more combative. Getty Images Last month, Hogg's group made its first endorsement, backing Illinois state Sen. Robert Peters (D) for the seat held by US Rep. Robin Kelly (D-Ill.), in Illinois' 2nd Congressional District. Kelly is running to replace retiring Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) in 2026. Many Democrats are incensed that Hogg is attempting to retain his role as a vice chair at the DNC and intervene in primaries at the same time. Hogg is one of three vice chairs. As with the Republican National Committee, the DNC provides candidates with resources and strategic assistance and is generally expected to be neutral in party primaries. Advertisement 'Our job is to be neutral arbiters,' Martin previously said in another leaked April call. 'We can't be both the referee and also the player at the same time.' Martin had pressured Hogg to either sign a neutrality pledge or step down from his highly coveted perch. Last month, around the time of the leaked Martin Zoom call, the DNC Credentials Committee heard complaints that Hogg and fellow Vice Chair Malcolm Kenyatta were improperly elected to their positions in February. The complaint was furnished by Oklahoma DNC member Kalyn Free, who pointed to committee rules calling for the party to have as close to gender parity as possible. She argued that the election of Hogg and Kenyatta flouted those rules. Advertisement The DNC subpanel recommended that the party hold new elections for the vice chair positions to rectify that issue. All of that controversy has clouded the DNC's efforts to go on the offensive against Republicans and President Trump amid deep soul-searching within the party over what went awry during the 2024 presidential election.
Boston Globe
2 hours ago
- Boston Globe
Nebraska Republican says he won't follow GOP ‘off the cliff'
Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up In an interview in his office last week, Bacon, at 61 serving his fifth term in Congress, would not say whether he voted for Trump last year. He also likened members of his party to people following someone off a cliff, compared himself to Winston Churchill speaking out against Adolf Hitler in the 1930s and criticized billionaire tech tycoon Elon Musk, who has bankrolled many of his Republican colleagues. Advertisement 'I sort of blame him for that disaster,' he said of Musk, referring to Musk exhorting Republicans late last year to tank a spending deal that was intended to avert a government shutdown. Advertisement On one level, Bacon is making a fairly obvious statement: Musk did play a crucial role in killing the spending bill. But it is the kind of obvious statement that most Republicans on Capitol Hill are not willing to make these days, for fear of jeopardizing their political futures as Musk threatens retribution against anyone who fails to vote the way he believes they should. In the coming weeks, Bacon, who represents a center-leaning district in the otherwise deeply red state of Nebraska that both former President Joe Biden and former Vice President Kamala Harris won by more than 4 percentage points, plans to announce whether or not he will seek a sixth term in Congress. His retirement would be welcome news for Democrats, who have long viewed Nebraska's 2nd Congressional District as one of their best opportunities to pick up a seat. They have consistently been denied because of Bacon's strong independent brand and unique electoral strength. Last month, a Democrat unseated a three-term Republican in the Omaha mayor's race. The morning after that race was called, Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., the minority leader, told the House Democratic Caucus that they were officially on 'Don Bacon retirement watch,' and the room erupted in cheers, according to a person familiar with the meeting. Bacon would not discuss his plans, but his recent record of criticizing Trump and Musk suggests that he does not have a reelection campaign in mind. Still, in the interview, he said he had not given up on politics or on the Republican Party. 'I'd like to fight for the soul of our party,' Bacon said, sitting in his office as Trump and Musk's high-stakes alliance dissolved in real time on social media. 'I don't want to be the guy who follows the flute player off the cliff. I think that's what's going on right now.' Advertisement He also has no interest in taking the path of former Reps. Adam Kinzinger of Illinois or Liz Cheney of Wyoming and making a clean break with a GOP that no longer reflects many of his values. 'You can't be anti-everything,' he said. 'I like what the president has done on the border, so I have no problem with that.' He also likes being a negotiator. 'I don't like voting 'no,'' he said. 'I like fixing things.' At the moment, he is pressing Republican leaders to reject a proposal from the Trump administration to claw back $400 million for the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, the global health program started by President George W. Bush that is credited with saving more than 25 million lives worldwide. The proposal is part of a $9 billion package of spending cuts the White House sent to Capitol Hill last week, which House GOP leaders plan to bring to a vote this week. 'I told them I'm a no,' Bacon said of the bill. 'I just want to make sure we're funding the medicine. We want to prevent AIDS; it's a noble program; it's George Bush's legacy. I put the marker out there. We'll see.' Bacon, a mild-mannered Midwesterner with a permanent half-smile on his face, is too much of a traditional conservative to have ever voted for Harris. But he would not say whether he voted for Trump. This is not a normal pose for a Republican in 2025. But Bacon has grown more confident over the years, as he has consistently fended off both right-wing challengers and Democrats to hold onto his seat, that he can remain fairly independent and suffer no political consequences. Advertisement House leaders have begged him to keep more of his opinions to himself, telling him to, as Bacon puts it, 'quit kicking President Trump in the nuts.' In response, Bacon said he has assured them: 'I'll do it only when I think it's needed.' That is becoming more and more often. In the interview, Bacon said he was disappointed in Hegseth, because 'I expect leaders to take responsibility.' He got his back up about Vice President JD Vance's claims that Denmark has 'not been a good ally' to the United States. 'The Danes have lost more people per capita in Afghanistan than any other country,' he said. 'And to call them not a good ally? They were all in with us, and it wasn't fair.' He said he opposed Trump's decision to take away deportation protections for thousands of Afghans in the United States. 'These guys fought by our side; we have a compact with those guys,' he said. 'To me, it's not a morally right decision.' And he warned that if Russia overruns Ukraine, it will define Trump's entire legacy. 'President Trump will always be known as the president who had Ukraine fall,' he said. He is also unwilling to let some of the less important stuff slide, breaking with some of his Republican colleagues who, he said, have tried to persuade him to pick his battles. On renaming the Gulf of Mexico, he said: 'I thought it was dumb. That's what people told me -- they said, 'It's so dumb; just vote for it.' That argument didn't work on me.' Advertisement In an alternative universe where there was more appetite for a Republican willing to break with Trump, Bacon has the kind of temperament and resume that could prompt dreams of running for president. Raised on a farm in Illinois, Bacon served for nearly three decades in the U.S. Air Force, earning the rank of brigadier general and specializing in electronic warfare and intelligence. The self-described Reaganite Republican has served in the House for eight years, consistently winning a district that centers on Omaha, the 'blue dot' in an otherwise red state. Bacon said he does think about running for president, drawing a comparison between his own fairly independent position in a tribal party and Churchill's during the 1930s, when the British government was pursuing a policy of appeasement toward Nazi Germany. 'You never know; things change,' he said. 'Right now, probably not. But Winston Churchill, who is one of my heroes, he was very unpopular 1932 through '40 because he was anti-Nazi. But in 1940, they go, 'Who was the only guy that knew what was going on?' ' Bacon said his dream job would be to serve in a Republican administration in a Cabinet-level role. 'If I had a perfect lane, someday I'd love to work in an administration, as director of intelligence, or secretary of defense or Air Force.' That's exceedingly unlikely in the current administration. But if his independent streak costs him such opportunities, Bacon said he would be just fine with that. 'I'd rather go down in history as being on the right side of this stuff,' he said. Advertisement This article originally appeared in
