U.S. Rep. Robin Kelly launches Senate bid to succeed Dick Durbin

Chicago-area Democrat aims to fill Durbins Senate seat

U.S. Rep. Robin Kelly announced Monday she will run for the Senate seat currently held by Sen. Dick Durbin, who said he wont seek re-election in 2026.

CHICAGO - U.S. Rep. Robin Kelly announced Monday she will run for the Senate seat currently held by Sen. Dick Durbin, who said he won't seek re-election in 2026.

What we know:

Kelly, a Democrat who has represented Illinois’ 2nd Congressional District since 2013, said her campaign will focus on reducing gun violence, lowering costs for families, and expanding access to health care.

"This moment requires proven leaders who have the experience to take on the toughest battles," Kelly said in a statement. "I’ve never backed down — not from gun lobbyists, not from MAGA extremists, and certainly not from a fight for what’s right."

Paris on Politics: Who Will Run for Durbin's Senate Seat?

Senator Dick Durbin, D-Ill., the Senate Democratic whip and the top Democrat on the Judiciary Committee, has announced this week that he will not seek re-election in 2026.

Kelly led a House sit-in over gun violence legislation and co-sponsored bills protecting domestic violence survivors. As a state lawmaker, she partnered with then-state Sen. Barack Obama and current Senate President Don Harmon to pass legislation targeting illegal gun sales.

Kelly also championed an expansion of Medicaid postpartum coverage to one year.

Durbin, 80, has held the Senate seat since 1997.

What they're saying:

Kelly says she's a work horse, not a show horse. And in what is expected to be a crowded primary, she believes it’s her work that stands out.

"After Sandy Hook, I ran for Congress to make communities safer," she said in her introductory campaign video released early this morning on social media. "We took on the NRA and we won."

Kelly touts her efforts on gun control and her vast experience in government—with stints in the Illinois General Assembly, state treasurer, Cook County government, and 12 years in Congress under her belt.

"I think I appeal to a broad spectrum of people. My district is urban, suburban, and rural. I have a great relationship with my farmers as well as residents in the city."

She'll need all the momentum she can get—already up against Illinois Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton, who has received endorsements from Gov. JB Pritzker and Sen. Tammy Duckworth, and big money backing from local megadonor Laura Ricketts.

"I hope they look beyond endorsements and the money and not let that be the decider. Let the decider be the person that's going to do the work, has done the work, and hit the ground running as soon as I become the next senator."

Reps. Raja Krishnamoorthi and Lauren Underwood are also weighing bids. With veteran North Shore Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky calling it quits after this term, it leaves the prospect of four wide-open congressional races in the Chicago region to go along with this heated Senate contest.