WASHINGTON — Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) announced Wednesday that he will not seek re-election in 2026, saying he would “pass the torch” to up-and-coming leaders in his party after completing 44 years in Congress.

The no. 2 Democrat in the Senate posted a video message on X explaining his decision to step down after having served five terms — “longer than anyone elected to the Senate” in Illinois’ history.

“The decision of whether to run for re-election has not been easy. I truly love the job of being a United States senator,” Durbin said. “But in my heart, I know it’s time to pass the torch.”

The 80-year-old added that “a strong Democratic bench” would be “ready to serve” in his place and touted his support for fellow Illinois Democratic Sen. Tammy Duckworth — but declined to name any immediate successors.

It’s unclear who will replace Durbin as Minority Leader Chuck Schumer’s second-in-command — or who will take his post as top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, which has led the opposition to President Trump’s agenda.

Before Durbin’s initial election to the Senate in 1996, the Illinois Democrat served 14 years representing his state’s 20th Congressional District in the House.

Durbin was a key opponent of Trump’s remaking of the US Supreme Court by appointing conservative justices Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett during his first term.

Democrats on the Judiciary panel have also waded into more recent court controversies by demanding the release of anti-Israel Columbia University protester Mahmoud Khalil, who is currently being held at a federal detention center in Louisiana as he fights deportation.

Some younger Democratic senators, like Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) and Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), have also in the wake of Trump’s 2024 victory been jockeying to lead their party’s messaging efforts.

“For more than four decades, Senator Dick Durbin has been a pillar of leadership, integrity, and unwavering dedication to the people of his home state of Illinois and the nation,” Schatz said in a statement on Durbin’s departure.

The Hawaii Democrat also touted Durbin ushering in over 235 members to the federal judiciary during former President Joe Biden’s term — and leading the charge to ban smoking on airplanes during the Reagan administration.

“I’m lucky to call Senator Durbin a mentor and friend,” he added of his closeness to the Democratic leader. “I know he will be running through the tape, fighting for Illinois and our nation, as always.”

Schumer, who is staring down the barrel of a potential primary challenge from “Squad” Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) in 2028, said in his own statement that Durbin had “left an indelible mark on this institution, the United States, and his beloved Illinois.”

Left-wing groups have also been leaning on the New York Democrat to retire after serving roughly the same amount of time in Congress as Durbin.

In an exit interview with The New York Times, Durbin had hinted that he agonized over the decision to leave in the middle of Trump’s second term, revealing he told himself: “Man, I don’t want to miss this fight.”

But he added: “There comes a point where you have to face reality, that this is the time to leave for me.”