DECATUR, Ill. (WAND) – When Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) announced he would not run in 2026 from his backyard patio the flood gates opened for candidates to start campaigns to win his seat.

The official date to file was Monday, November 3, 2025 and when the deadline passed 22 candidates had submitted the paperwork to get their names on the primary ballot. Fourteen are Democrats and eight are Republicans.

The candidates backgrounds range from a sitting Lieutenant Governor and members of Congress to an engineer from Champaign County and several veterans.

The primary is set for March 17, 2026. The winner from each party will then go head-to-head in the general election on November 3, 2026.

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U.S. Senator Dick Durbin announces he will not seek reelection

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