Wednesday’s retirement announcement from 80-year-old Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin was hardly unexpected. Many in the Land of Lincoln had long anticipated his exit, and the jockeying to replace Illinois’ longest-serving senator has already been well underway behind the scenes for this solidly Democratic seat.
At least four Illinois politicians have long been quietly making moves to run to succeed Durbin ahead of next March’s primary in a race that could — at least initially — break down along gender and racial lines. In a state like Illinois, winning the Democratic primary is usually akin to winning the general election. We continue to rate this race as Solid Democrat.
Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (IL-08) — whose family immigrated to Peoria, Ill., from India when he was three months old — has been building a massive war chest that was clearly intended for ambitions beyond his safe seat in the northwestern Chicago suburbs. He announced raising $3 million in the first quarter for his House account, which can be converted to his Senate account, and the 51-year-old ended March with $19.4 million
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The Cook Political Report is an independent, non-partisan newsletter that analyzes elections and campaigns for the US House of Representatives, US Senate, Governors and President as well as American political trends.
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