Dick Durbin, a Democrat from Springfield, is Illinois' 47th United States Senator. Elected in 1996 to fill the seat vacated by his political mentor, U.S. Sen. Paul Simon, Durbin has worked in his two terms on education, economic development, more efficient transportation, stronger healthcare and targeted tax relief.
Dick Durbin's personal and political beliefs are deeply rooted in his childhood experience in East St. Louis, IL. Durbin's mother immigrated to the United States from Lithuania. His mother and father worked on the railroad.
Senator Durbin worked his way through college and law school at Georgetown University - working on the railroad during his summer vacations at home and interning on Sen. Paul Douglas's Capitol Hill staff. After graduating from law school in 1969, Durbin went to work for then-Lt. Gov. Paul Simon and spent 13 years as the Illinois state Senate Parliamentarian.
About Dick Durbin: Working for Illinois
