Generational change could be coming fast for Senate Democrats

Democrats have been grappling with the need for generational change inside their party leadership in the months since last November’s election. In the Senate, that debate could soon get kicked into overdrive.

Sen. Dick Durbin, the party’s No. 2 leader, will announce in the coming weeks whether he will run for reelection. Many Democrats in Washington and back in Illinois are expecting the 80-year-old to say he will retire next year at the end of his current term.

That decision would have major ramifications inside the Senate Democratic Caucus, where the median age is 66 years old. If Durbin — the third-oldest in the caucus — hangs up his hat, it will provide an opening to inject new blood into the upper echelons for the first time in a decade. And it could come at a politically precarious moment: Congressional Democrats are facing doubts from their own party’s voters about their ability to lead in President Donald Trump's Washington, and there are lingering questions outside of the Senate about Minority Leader Chuck Schumer’s continued leadership.

Many senators are hailing the modest shift that's already underway that has empowered an influx of opinionated, media-savvy freshmen and elevated some of the caucus’ younger members into the lower rungs of the leadership ladder.

“We need that youthful energy in caucus leadership,” said Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.), 67, about the broader changes, crediting their newest members for “not sitting down and waiting for years before they speak up.”

Durbin’s potential retirement at the end of 2026 could solidify that generational shift: 52-year-old Sen. Brian Schatz of Hawaii is currently viewed as his most likely successor — though one person granted anonymity to describe internal discussions cautioned that there hasn’t yet been a thorough caucus-wide discussion out of respect for Durbin, who has not tipped his hand on his reelection decision.

Schatz, the seventh-youngest Senate Democrat, is viewed as having ambitions of one day leading the caucus — though he’s made no indication that he would challenge Schumer, who will face a referendum on his leadership after the 2026 election and reelection for his Senate seat in 2028.

Two other relatively youthful members — Minnesota’s Amy Klobuchar, 64, and New Jersey’s Cory Booker, 55 — have also taken on more senior roles in caucus leadership since January. Booker, who has helped the caucus and his colleagues expand their reach online, is viewed as unlikely to challenge Schatz for the whip position. A spokesperson for Klobuchar did not respond to a request for comment.

Klobuchar moved into the No. 3 role after the 2024 election, while Schumer gave Booker the No. 4 spot — and a newly created position chairing the strategic communications committee. Schumer also added 51-year-old Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut onto his expansive leadership team with the title of deputy conference secretary.

Schumer’s effort to widen his leadership table came after the release in recent years of some pent-up angst over the distribution of power within the caucus, which still runs largely on seniority. He’s discussed elevating younger members of his caucus as a key part of his job, comparing himself to an orchestra leader. That includes recently touting Schatz and Murphy as effective voices and Booker for boosting Senate Democrats’ digital efforts. Schumer also helped tap 48-year-old Michigan Sen. Elissa Slotkin — who was once overheard jokingly referring to the Senate as a “retirement home” — to give the party's response to Trump’s recent joint session address.

But Durbin’s potential exit would be an especially significant moment. Democratic insiders in Illinois expect him to announce a decision soon, with the veteran lawmaker signaling he faces a difficult decision committing to two years of campaigning on top of another six years on the job.

Already at least six Illinois Democrats have expressed interest in running to succeed him, including Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton; Reps. Robin Kelly, Raja Krishnamoorthi and Lauren Underwood; state Sen. Robert Peters and Christopher Swann, a nonprofit leader in Chicago.

In addition to his leadership post as whip, Durbin holds the top Democratic seat on the Senate Judiciary Committee — a high-profile role that includes riding herd on lifetime judicial nominations. The man expected to succeed him in that spot — Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island, who is 69 — led a failed effort in 2020 that would have effectively forced Durbin to pick between the whip job and the top Judiciary spot.

Intra-caucus tensions boiled over last month amid a confrontation with Republicans over government funding. Inside closed-door meetings, heated debates played out that underscored the divides within the caucus, according to three people granted anonymity to detail the discussions.

That included fierce questions from a historically quiet corner: The freshmen, many of them former House members, who were united in questioning why leadership had waited so long to articulate a cohesive strategy. But they also rankled some of their more senior colleagues, who felt that they leaned too eagerly into a possible government shutdown.

In the end, Schumer cast a procedural vote with Republicans that effectively sidestepped a shutdown. Durbin was among those who joined the top leader — as was Schatz, who echoed Schumer’s warnings about the dangers of shutting down the government in a statement about his vote.

But the Hawaiian also acknowledged the backlash that emerged from multiple corners of the party over that position, and he said that while he shared the frustration, Democrats “can't let disagreements about strategy and tactics divide us.”

Senate Democrats have tried to turn the page publicly on their internal infighting since then, but privately they are still grappling with what their strategy should be both in terms of messaging and how aggressive they should be with their tactics.

Part of their answer, so far, has been rhetorical, with Schumer ramping up his media appearances to criticize Trump’s tariffs and Republicans’ legislative agenda, which includes plans for tax cuts and potential cuts to safety-net programs.

A number of Senate Democrats have announced they have placed holds on many of Trump’s nominees — a tactic that can slow them down if not ultimately prevent them from being confirmed. That includes Schatz, who had already said before the government funding fight that he would slow down Trump’s State Department picks before later expanding his target list. Freshman Sens. Adam Schiff of California and Ruben Gallego of Arizona also announced earlier this month that they would make moves to hold up Trump nominees.

But the tactic that has most resonated with Democratic activists and voters was Booker’s recent 25-hour speech from the Senate floor, which revived questions about his future leadership ambitions — whether those would include rising inside the Senate Democratic Caucus or pursuing another White House bid.

Booker has batted down suggestions he wants to challenge Schumer,and his colleagues say he hasn’t privately indicated that is his aim. But he’s also making his own case for how he believes Democrats should be acting amid the current political climate.

“There’s a lot of people out there asking Democrats to do more to take risks and do things differently,” Booker said after his speech. “I just think a lot of us have to do a lot more, including myself.”

Shia Kapos contributed to this report.