U.S. Senator
Richard J. Durbin
Illinois
DemocratProgressive
Contact
Voting Profile
Legislative Record
Most Active Policy Areas
#1 other#2 budget#3 defense#4 environment energy#5 education
1000
Votes Analyzed
Data sources: voteview, congress.gov
Political Position
Ideology Spectrum
-0.34Progressive
Senator Durbin's voting record places him in the progressive wing of the Democratic Party, though his NOMINATE score of -0.341 positions him slightly more moderate than the average Democrat in the Senate. His long tenure has demonstrated consistent alignment with Democratic priorities while occasionally showing flexibility on specific issues.
LiberalModerateConservative
Democrat avg
Near the average for Democrats (-0.38)
Data source: VoteView NOMINATE scores (UCLA/UC San Diego)
Policy Positions
Category Breakdown
1000
total votes analyzed
Overview
Richard J. Durbin has served as one of Illinois' most prominent political figures, with a legislative career spanning over four decades. As the Senate Democratic Whip, he holds a key leadership position and has been instrumental in shaping party strategy and legislative priorities. His voting record shows strong support across traditional Democratic policy areas, with particularly high approval rates on education (77% yea) and social security measures (76% yea). He has also demonstrated consistent support for environmental and energy legislation (70% yea) and agricultural issues relevant to his Illinois constituency (69% yea). Durbin's defense voting pattern (62% yea) and foreign policy record (66% yea) reflect a mainstream Democratic approach to national security, supporting military funding while also backing diplomatic initiatives. His budget votes (63% yea) indicate general support for Democratic fiscal priorities while maintaining some selectivity on specific spending measures.
Key Positions
- •Long-serving Senate Democratic leadership as Majority/Minority Whip
- •Consistent supporter of education funding and policy initiatives
- •Strong advocate for Social Security protections
- •Supporter of environmental and clean energy legislation
- •Advocate for agricultural interests reflecting Illinois constituency
- •Mainstream Democratic positions on defense and foreign policy
By Policy Area
Other279
57% yea43% nay
Budget & Spending229
63% yea37% nay
Defense104
62% yea38% nay
Environment & Energy60
70% yea30% nay
Education52
77% yea23% nay
Social Security41
76% yea24% nay
Foreign Policy38
66% yea34% nay
Agriculture36
69% yea31% nay
Taxation36
67% yea33% nay
Infrastructure22
64% yea36% nay
Trade22
73% yea27% nay
Healthcare21
71% yea29% nay
Labor13
31% yea69% nay
Immigration13
62% yea38% nay
Housing12
50% yea50% nay
Criminal Justice8
100% yea0% nay
Technology6
67% yea33% nay
Banking & Finance6
83% yea17% nay
Analysis updated: January 9, 2026
Campaign Finance
Follow the Money
Includes all authorized campaign committees (principal committee, joint fundraising, and other authorized committees). Outside spending by Super PACs and independent groups is shown separately below. Verify on FEC.gov →
Career: $47.0M
Fundraising Over Time
Raised per election cycleSpent
Contribution Sources
Individual$1.1M
75%
PAC / Committees$364K
25%
Individual Breakdown
Itemized (>$200)
$715K
Small Dollar (<$200)
$403K
Donation Sizes
Under $200
$30K · 82%
$200 – 499
$2K · 6%
$500 – 999
$500 · 1%
$1,000 – 1,999
$2K · 6%
$2,000+
$2K · 6%
Share of individual contribution dollars by donation size, current election cycle.
Where the Money Comes From
In-state (IL)$17K · 65%
Out-of-state$9K · 35%
Itemized individual contributions only (donations over $200 report the donor's state). Small-dollar donations are not included because the FEC does not itemize them.
IL
$17K
VA
$3K
DC
$1K
NY
$935
CA
$690
FL
$555
MD
$540
NC
$445
Top Contributors
Top Contributing Industries
Top Donor Employers
NOT EMPLOYED$15K
SELF-EMPLOYED$3K
W2E GROUP$2K
CORNERSTONE GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS$1K
SMITH DAWSON & ANDREWS$1K
NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY$325
UCHICAGO ARGONNE LLC$250
REGO CONSULTING$225
DEVELOPMENT SERVICES CORP$200
KYIV MOHYLA FOUNDATION$200
SANDBOX INDUSTRIES LLC$200
PURDUE UNIVERSITY$150
Employer as self-reported by itemized donors. “Not Employed” and “Self-Employed” typically rank highest for small-dollar campaigns and include retirees.
Where the Money Goes
Spending by Purpose
Other / Uncategorized
$456K
Refunds
$267K
Advertising
$45K
Contributions
$5K
Fundraising
$4K
Administrative
$2K
Materials
$255.7
Purpose categories are self-reported on FEC filings; large “Other” totals are common.
Top Payees
1.$100K
LOYOLA UNIVERSITY
2.$75K
LAFAVE, LORI
3.$44K
BANK OF SPRINGFIELD
4.$42K
GROUNDSWELL PUBLIC STRATEGIES INC
5.$41K
SOUDERS, PAT
6.$38K
CAPITOL COMPLIANCE ASSOCIATES, INC.
7.$31K
HAMPSTEN, EMILY
8.$28K
GUSTO
Detailed Breakdown
Expenditures
Operating Costs
$1.8M
Operating Offsets
$39K
Net Operating
$1.7M
Transfers
Transfers Out
$3K
Refunds
Individual Refunds
$235K
Committee Refunds
$56K
Outside Spending (Super PACs)
Supporting
$86K
Opposing
$1.8M
Total Outside Spending
$1.9M
Top Outside Spenders
01
$1.0MAMERICAS PAC
+$83K-$947K
02
$575KOUR AMERICA FUND
-$575K
03
$154KRESTORATION PAC
-$154K
04
$113KTEA PARTY PATRIOTS CITIZENS FUND
-$113K
05
$10KVOTERS FOR CHOICE/FRIENDS OF FAMILY PLANNING
-$10K
06
$9KNATIONAL COUNCIL OF SENIOR CITIZENS POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE
-$9K
07
$8KPATRIOT VOICES PAC
-$8K
08
$7KCONSERVATIVE WARCHEST PAC
-$7K
Independent expenditures are made without coordination with the candidate. Source: FEC Schedule E filings.
Coverage: 1/1/2021 – 6/30/2026FEC: S6IL00151Updated: 8/12/2026Source: FEC.gov (all authorized committees)
Voting Record
Congressional Votes
2,443 votes across 21 categories