Today’s installment of campaign-related news items from across the country.
* Confirming months of rumors, Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois, the second highest ranking Democrat in the Senate, announced that he’s retiring after 44 years of service on Capitol Hill. The incumbent, who recently turned 80, will serve the remainder of his term before stepping down next year.
* On a related note, the competition for Durbin’s seat, especially among Democrats, is expected to be fierce. First out of the gate is Juliana Stratton, Illinois’ current lieutenant governor, who kicked off her campaign the morning after the senator’s retirement announcement.
* Speaking of Illinois, Politico reported that Rep. Jan Schakowsky is poised to announce that she won’t seek re-election in 2026, but soon after, the Democratic congresswoman said she has not yet “made a decision about my plans for re-election.” Schakowsky added that she’ll announce her plans on May 5.
* A decade ago, Rep. David Jolly of Florida served two terms as a Republican member of Congress. Now, Jolly has become a Democrat, and he’s taken some preliminary steps to run for governor in the Sunshine State next year. (Note: The former congressman has worked as an MSNBC political contributor.)
* In South Carolina, Rep. Nancy Mace held a town hall meeting this week, but the general public wasn’t invited. Instead, the Republican congresswoman held an event at a private gated community — attendance was reportedly limited to members of the local homeowners’ association — a moderator asked pre-screened, “primarily friendly“ questions. * Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer spoke to Semafor at the World Economy Summit, and the New York Democrat predicted that his party will pick up the four seats next year that Democrats need to win back the Senate majority. “We are going to be in the majority in 2027,” Schumer declared. * And after the 2024 elections, Republican legislators in North Carolina shifted control of the state election board to the state auditor — because the auditor was the only statewide office still controlled by a GOP official. This week, a judicial panel threw out the policy.
Steve Benen is a producer for "The Rachel Maddow Show," the editor of MaddowBlog and an MS NOW political contributor. He's also the bestselling author of "Ministry of Truth: Democracy, Reality, and the Republicans' War on the Recent Past."
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