Dick Durbin

“To have these prices go up and not provide assistance is unacceptable,” Durbin said at a press conference in Cahokia Heights on Friday. “We've got to do something about it.”

Dick Durbin, who is not seeking reelection in 2026, was one of eight members in the Senate Democratic caucus to join Republicans in supporting a procedural vote to begin the process of passing legislation to fund the government.

Missouri U.S. Sen. Eric Schmitt is handling the measure that strips out billions of dollars from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and foreign aid programs.

The final version of the bill contains restrictions on medical provider taxes that alarmed Missouri hospitals.

The 80-year-old Democrat and East St. Louis native told WBEZ in an Illinois exclusive that age was a factor in his not seeking a sixth term in Congress.

An East St. Louis pantry said it used to get 12 to 13 pallets of produce per week. Now, it’s four or five after the USDA eliminated a program that reimburses states for purchasing produce from local farmers.

A statement by influential Chicago advocacy groups against Sen. Dick Durbin’s vote, coupled with a climate group protest targeting him, are uncommon public rebukes of the 80-year-old lawmaker deciding whether to run for another term.

Martin's time in Missouri politics included unsuccessfully running twice for statewide and congressional office.

The biggest political guessing game in Illinois is whether Durbin will seek a sixth term in 2026.

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, who had been on shortlists as a potential replacement for President Joe Biden, said he had spoken to Harris and told her the president’s decision “came as a genuine surprise.”