Sierra Club Statement on Retirement of Sen. Dick Durbin

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) announced he would not seek re-electionto the U.S. Senate in 2026.

During his time in Congress, Durbin assembled a record as a consistent advocate for environmental issues, especially the protection of public lands. He worked to maintain the Arctic Refugeas a place free of oil and gas drilling and was instrumental in passing the 2009 and 2019 public lands bills, which protected more than 6 million acres of public lands, including more than 700,000 in Emery County, Utah. In 2024, he worked with local communities and environmental and religious groups to help secure the designation of historic areas in his hometown as the Springfield (Illinois) 1908 Race Riot National Monument, the race riot that inspired the creation of the NAACP.

Durbin has represented Illinois as a member of Congress for more than 40 years. He served in the House of Representatives from 1983 to 1997, and has represented the state in the Senate since 1997.

In response, Athan Manuel, director of Sierra Club's Lands Protection Program, released the following statement:

"Dick Durbin has been a fierce advocate for our country's public lands for more than 40 years. Because of his leadership, more of our special places, from the Arctic Refuge to Southern Utah to Springfield, have been protected for future generations. His service in Congress may be concluding, but Dick Durbin has assembled an environmental legacy that Americans can look to for inspiration for years to come."

About the Sierra Club

The Sierra Club is America's largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with millions of members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.