Richard Joseph "Dick" Durbin (born November 21, 1944) is the senior United States Senator from Illinois. He is also the Senate Majority Whip, the second highest position in the Democratic Party leadership in the Senate.
Durbin was born on November 21, 1944 in East St. Louis, Illinois. He graduated from the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service and Georgetown University Law Center. Durbin is married to Loretta Schaefer. They had three children. In 2008, their daughter died from heart problems.
Working in state legal counsel throughout the 1970s, he made an unsuccessful run for Lieutenant Governor of Illinois in 1978. He was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1982, representing the Springfield-based 20th congressional district.
In 1996 he won election to the U.S. Senate by an unexpected 15 points. He became the Senate Democratic Whip in 2005. From January 3, 2007 to January 3, 2015, he was the Senate Majority Whip because his party had the majority.
Durbin is the only the fifth United States senator from Illinois to serve the position of United States Senate Minority Whip.