Durbin, Richard Joseph (1944-…), has been a member of the United States Senate since 1997. Durbin, a Democrat, represents Illinois. He became the Senate Democratic whip (assistant leader) in 2005. From 2007 to 2015, when his party controlled the Senate, Durbin served as majority whip, or assistant majority leader. The Democrats regained a majority in the Senate in 2021, and Durbin again became majority whip.
Durbin, who is often called Dick Durbin, was born on Nov. 21, 1944, in East St. Louis, Illinois. He earned a bachelor’s degree in foreign service and economics from Georgetown University in 1966. He received a law degree from Georgetown in 1969 and then began working as a lawyer in Springfield, Illinois.
From 1969 to 1972, Durbin served as an aide to Illinois Lieutenant Governor Paul Simon and as parliamentarian of the Illinois Senate. From 1972 to 1982, he was legal counsel to the Illinois Senate Judiciary Committee. From 1978 to 1983, Durbin was an associate professor of medical humanities at the Southern Illinois University School of Medicine in Springfield.
In 1982, Durbin was elected to his first term in the U.S. House of Representatives. He remained a member of the House until 1997. In the House, he worked on antismoking legislation and other measures to restrict the tobacco industry. In 1996, Durbin was elected to his first term in the U.S. Senate. He took office in 1997. He was reelected in 2002, 2008, 2014, and 2020. In the Senate, Durbin has supported programs to fight poverty and provide affordable health care. He has also focused on consumer protection and transportation issues.
