Sen. Durbin was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1996, and re-elected in 2002; he is the 47th U.S. Senator from Illinois. He serves on the Senate Appropriations Committee and in 2004 was elected as Assistant Minority Leader, also known as Democratic Whip. He is a founding member of the Senate Global AIDS Caucus and in 1999, was honored as the American Public Health Association’s “Legislator of the Year.”

Farm organizations across the state have recognized his consistent leadership and the Illinois Farm Bureau awarded him its “Friend of Agriculture” Award in 2000. Durbin is married to Loretta Schaefer Durbin. They have three children and one grandchild. The Durbins reside in Springfield.