Crowd turns out to honor U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin at brunch in Springfield

There was a big turnout in Springfield on Wednesday to celebrate retiring U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Illinois).

The crowd at the Illinois Democratic County Chairman's Association brunch gave Durbin a standing ovation.

U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Illinois) was the keynote speaker — one of many paying tribute to Durbin.

Durbin was first elected to the U.S. Senate in 1996, defeating Republican Al Salvi by a wide margin after a heated contest. He took the seat held by his political mentor, U.S. Sen. Paul Simon.

Durbin was reelected to the U.S. Senate in 2002, 2008, 2014, and 2020. He has served as Democratic whip since 2005, and served as chairman of the Judiciary Committee from 2021 to 2025.

Before being elected to the U.S. Senate, Durbin served seven terms in the U.S. House of Representatives — winning his first election to Congress in 1982.

He is retiring at the end of this term.