Home About Chat Users Issues Party Candidates Polling Firms Media News Polls Calendar Key Races United States President Senate House Governors International

New User Account
"A comprehensive, collaborative elections resource." 
Email: Password:

  Durbin, Dick
CANDIDATE DETAILS
AffiliationDemocratic  
<-  2022-01-01  
 
NameDick Durbin
Address1525 S. Bates Ave.
Springfield, Illinois 62704, United States
Emaildick@durbin.senate.gov
Website [Link]
 Facebookdickdurbin
Born November 21, 1944 (79 years)
ContributorBarack O-blame-a
Last Modifedev
Nov 13, 2023 02:17pm
Tags Caucasian - Married - Catholic - Straight -
InfoRichard Joseph "Dick" Durbin

Senator Dick Durbin was elected by his fellow Democratic Senators in December 2004 to the Senate's second highest ranking Democratic leadership post. Durbin's election as Assistant Minority Leader, also known as Democratic Whip, will mark only the fifth time in history that an Illinois senator has served as a Senate leader.

Durbin, a Democrat from Springfield, is the 47th U.S. Senator from the State of Illinois and the first Illinois senator to serve on the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee in more than a quarter of a century. He is the state’s senior senator and convenor of the bipartisan Illinois delegation.

Elected to the U.S. Senate on November 5, 1996 and re-elected in 2002, Durbin fills the seat left vacant by the retirement of his long-time friend and mentor, U.S. Senator Paul Simon.

In 2001, Senate Democratic Leader Tom Daschle (D-SD) appointed Durbin to the Senate’s leadership team, Assistant Democratic Floor Leader. In 2000, Durbin served as Co-Chairman of the Democratic Platform Committee and also was Co-Chairman of the Atlantic Conference sponsored by the Chicago Council on Foreign Relations. He is a founding member of the Senate Global AIDS Caucus.

Improving Health Care: The House author of landmark legislation to ban smoking on commercial airline flights, Durbin has worked in the Senate to protect children from the harm caused by tobacco. For his work, he was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award by the American Lung Association.

Among his other health achievements, Durbin has worked successfully for increased federal funding to prevent childhood asthma, increase immunizations and expand medical research. He has successfully fought to increase the share of federal funding dedicated to combating AIDS worldwide. He has also been a leader in promoting organ and tissue donation. In the spring of 2004, Durbin put forth a plan to give small businesses affordable choices among private health insurance plans and expand access to coverage for their employees.

In 1999, Durbin was honored as the American Public Health Association’s “Legislator of the Year,” and in 2001 he received the American Medical Association's Dr. Nathan Davis Award for Outstanding Government Service.

Protecting Consumers: Consumer protection is high on Durbin’s list of priorities. Continuing an effort spurred by a meeting with the mother of a Chicago six-year-old who died after eating contaminated hamburger, Durbin led the effort to modernize the fragmented federal food safety system under a single food-safety agency.

Durbin also led the effort to ban ephedra, a dangerous product sold as a nutritional supplement and has introduced legislation to require manufacturers of other dietary supplements to ensure their products are safe before they are sold. He secured $2.8 million for the implementation of new safety standards to protect patients from injuries related to re-use of medical devices that are intended to be used only once.

Leading Gun Safety Efforts: Durbin has worked for gun safety legislation to keep guns out of the hands of children. He introduced bipartisan legislation to hold adults responsible if they fail to lock up their firearms and the weapons are subsequently taken by a child and used to kill or injure another person.

He also teamed up with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) and local law enforcement agencies to launch an initiative to help Illinois become the first state to voluntarily trace every crime gun recovered from a crime scene. It was the first comprehensive statewide effort in Illinois to encourage all local law enforcement agencies to work with the ATF to better use crime-gun tracing information to reduce gun trafficking and other criminal endeavors.

Fighting for Farmers: Durbin has been a champion of Illinois farmers and has worked to promote ethanol use. In 1998, he secured passage of a provision extending the ethanol tax incentive to 2007. In 2000, he worked with other members of the Illinois delegation for funding for the construction of an ethanol research pilot plant near the Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville campus, a project he has promoted since the early 1990s. The full deductibility of health insurance costs for the self-employed – including farmers – has been a career-long battle for Durbin, ending in a victory in 2003.
Farm organizations across the state have recognized his consistent leadership and the Illinois Farm Bureau awarded him its “Friend of Agriculture” Award in 2000.

Working for a Fair Tax Code: Durbin’s tax cut agenda includes tax credits for small businesses buying health insurance for their low-income workers, estate tax relief for family-owned small businesses and farms, tax incentives to promote charitable giving, and tax credits for long-term care insurance, child care and college tuition.

Senator Durbin is married to Loretta Schaefer Durbin. They have three children and one grandchild.The Durbins reside in Springfield.


JOB APPROVAL POLLS
DateFirmApproveDisapproveDon't Know
01/01/2017-03/31/2017 Morning Consult 50.00% ( 0.0) 34.00% ( 0.0) 16.00% ( 0.0)
08/25/2014-08/27/2014 Harper Polling 39.00% ( 0.0) 45.00% ( 0.0) 17.00% ( 0.0)
10/14/2010-10/16/2010 Public Policy Polling 47.00% ( 1.0) 45.00% ( 2.0) 8.00% ( 3.0)
09/23/2010-09/26/2010 Public Policy Polling 46.00% ( 4.0) 43.00% ( 5.0) 11.00% ( 2.0)
08/14/2010-08/15/2010 Public Policy Polling 50.00% ( 1.0) 38.00% ( 2.0) 13.00% ( 2.0)
06/12/2010-06/13/2010 Public Policy Polling 49.00% ( 4.0) 36.00% ( 2.0) 15.00% ( 6.0)
04/01/2010-04/05/2010 Public Policy Polling 45.00% ( 2.0) 34.00% ( 5.0) 21.00% ( 7.0)
01/22/2010-01/25/2010 Public Policy Polling 47.00% ( 0.0) 39.00% ( 0.0) 14.00% ( 0.0)
09/09/2009-10/08/2009 Survey Research Center 59.00% ( 0.0) 33.70% ( 0.0) 7.30% ( 0.0)
08/09/2008-08/12/2008 Rasmussen Reports 59.00% ( 0.0) 29.00% ( 0.0) 12.00% ( 0.0)

BOOKS
Title Purchase Contributor

EVENTS
Start Date End Date Type Title Contributor

NEWS
Date Category Headline Article Contributor
Jul 08, 2013 04:00pm News Durbin calls on Republicans to 'change and improve' Obamacare  Article Scott³ 
Aug 12, 2010 01:00pm General Durbin has cancerous tumor removed from stomach  Article RP 
Mar 08, 2010 03:00pm Profile Dick Durbin's hardball game  Article WesternDem 
Jun 24, 2009 08:30pm Press Release Durbin, Leahy and Feingold Introduce Legislation Making Crimes Against Humanity a Violation of US Law  Article Craverguy 
Jun 16, 2009 07:00am General Durbin cashed out during big stock collapse   Article kal 
Feb 24, 2009 03:50pm News Durbin urges unbending Burris to resign  Article COSDem 

DISCUSSION
Importance? 9.57140 Average

FAMILY

INFORMATION LINKS
Dick Durbin for U.S. Senate  Discuss
RACES
  02/02/2023 US Senate Appropriations Committee Majority Members Won 12.38% (+0.00%)
  02/01/2023 US Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Won 52.38% (+4.76%)
  12/08/2022 US Senate Assistant Majority Leader Won 100.00% (+100.00%)
  02/03/2021 US Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Won 50.00% (+0.00%)
  02/02/2021 US Senate Agriculture Committee - Majority Members Won 7.27% (-9.09%)
  01/05/2021 US Senate Assistant Majority Leader Won 100.00% (+100.00%)
  11/03/2020 IL US Senate Won 54.93% (+16.07%)
  03/17/2020 IL US Senate - D Primary Won 100.00% (+100.00%)
  01/03/2019 US Senate Agriculture Committee - Minority Members Won 2.78% (-16.67%)
  01/03/2019 US Senate Minority Whip Won 100.00% (+100.00%)
  01/03/2017 US Senate Minority Whip Won 100.00% (+100.00%)
  11/04/2014 IL US Senate Won 53.55% (+10.85%)
  11/04/2014 US Senate Assistant Minority Leader Won 100.00% (+100.00%)
  05/18/2014 IL US Senate - D Primary Won 100.00% (+100.00%)
  11/06/2012 US Senate Assistant Majority Leader Won 100.00% (+100.00%)
  11/18/2010 US Senate Assistant Majority Leader Won 100.00% (+100.00%)
  11/18/2008 US Senate Assistant Majority Leader Won 100.00% (+100.00%)
  11/04/2008 IL US Senate Won 67.82% (+39.27%)
  02/05/2008 IL US Senate - D Primary Won 100.00% (+100.00%)
  11/14/2006 US Senate Assistant Majority Leader Won 100.00% (+100.00%)
  11/05/2004 Minority Whip Won 100.00% (+100.00%)
  11/05/2002 IL US Senate Won 60.33% (+22.31%)
  03/19/2002 IL US Senate - D Primary Won 100.00% (+100.00%)
  11/05/1996 IL US Senate Won 56.09% (+15.41%)
  03/16/1996 IL US Senate - D Primary Won 64.87% (+35.36%)
  11/08/1994 IL District 20 Won 54.84% (+9.68%)
  11/03/1992 IL District 20 Won 56.50% (+13.01%)
  11/06/1990 IL District 20 Won 66.20% (+32.40%)
  06/21/1989 Democratic Caucus Vice-Chair Lost 0.00% (-58.10%)
  11/08/1988 IL District 20 Won 68.87% (+37.75%)
  11/04/1986 IL District 20 Won 68.10% (+36.19%)
  11/06/1984 IL District 20 Won 61.27% (+22.53%)
  03/20/1984 IL District 20 - D Primary Won 92.47% (+84.94%)
  11/02/1982 IL District 20 Won 50.35% (+0.70%)
  03/16/1982 IL District 20 - D Primary Won 75.33% (+50.66%)
  11/07/1978 IL Lt. Governor Lost 40.10% (-18.94%)
  03/21/1978 IL Lt. Governor - D Primary Won 100.00% (+100.00%)
  11/02/1976 IL State Senate 50 Lost 49.14% (-1.72%)
SPECULATIVE, DID NOT RUN
  03/20/2018 IL Governor - D Primary Lost 0.00% (-45.13%)
ENDORSEMENTS
Chicago Mayor - Runoff - Apr 04, 2023 D Paul Vallas
IL Secretary of State - D Primary - Jun 28, 2022 D Anna Valencia
IL State House 072 - D Primary - Jun 28, 2022 D Jeff Deppe
DeKalb, IL Mayor - Apr 06, 2021 D Carolyn Beth Morris Zasada
Illinois Democratic Party Chair - Mar 03, 2021 D Robin Kelly
US Vice President - D Selection - Aug 11, 2020 D Tammy Duckworth
IL US President - D Primary - Mar 17, 2020 D Joe Biden
Cook County State's Attorney - D Primary - Mar 17, 2020 D Kim Foxx
US Secretary of Energy - Dec 02, 2019 R Dan Brouillette
IL District 13 - D Primary - Mar 20, 2018 D Betsy Dirksen Londrigan
IL Governor - D Primary - Mar 20, 2018 D J. B. Pritzker
Chairman of the Federal Reserve Board - Jan 23, 2018 R Jerome H. "Jay" Powell
US Ambassador to the Holy See - Oct 16, 2017 NPA Reject
US Secretary of Commerce - Feb 27, 2017 NPA Reject
IL US Senate - D Primary - Mar 15, 2016 D Tammy Duckworth
IL District 10 - D Primary - Mar 15, 2016 D Nancy Rodkin Rotering
IL District 08 - D Primary - Mar 15, 2016 D Raja Krishnamoorthi
US Attorney General - Apr 23, 2015 D Loretta Lynch
Chicago Mayor - Feb 24, 2015 D Rahm Emanuel
C.I.A. Director - Mar 07, 2013 N John O. Brennan
IL District 08 - D Primary - Mar 20, 2012 D Tammy Duckworth
IL - District 17 - D Primary - Mar 20, 2012 D Cheri Bustos
IL - District 11 - D Primary - Mar 20, 2012 D Bill Foster
IL - District 13 - D Primary - Mar 20, 2012 D Matthew J. "Matt" Goetten
Springfield, IL Mayor - Apr 05, 2011 D Sheila Stocks-Smith
US Senate Majority Leader - Nov 18, 2010 D Harry M. Reid
Supreme Court - Associate Justice - Aug 05, 2010 D Elena Kagan
IL State House 071-D Primary - Feb 02, 2010 D Porter McNeil
Supreme Court - Associate Justice - Aug 06, 2009 I Sonia Sotomayor
US Attorney General - Feb 02, 2009 D Eric Holder
IL District 10 - D Primary - Feb 05, 2008 D Dan Seals
IL US President - D Primary - Feb 05, 2008 D Barack Obama
IL District 14 - Special D Primary - Feb 05, 2008 D Bill Foster
IL District 14 - D Primary - Feb 05, 2008 D Bill Foster
US President - D Primaries - Jun 03, 2008 D Barack Obama
Carbondale, IL Mayor - Apr 17, 2007 D Sheila Simon
VA US Senate - D Primary - Jun 13, 2006 D Jim Webb
IL District 06 - D Primary - Mar 21, 2006 D Tammy Duckworth
Cook County Board President- D Primary - Mar 21, 2006 D John H. Stroger, Jr.
Supreme Court - Associate Justice - Jan 31, 2006 NPA Reject
Supreme Court - Chief Justice - Sep 29, 2005 NPA Reject
Moline, IL Mayor - Apr 05, 2005 D Pat O'Brien
DNC Party Chair - Feb 12, 2005 D Tom Vilsack
EPA Administrator - Oct 28, 2003 NPA Reject
US Secretary of the Interior - Jan 30, 2001 NPA Reject
Second Circuit Court Judge - Oct 02, 1998 I Sonia Sotomayor
IL Governor - D Primary - Mar 17, 1998 D Glenn Poshard