Jim Durkin | |
|---|---|
| Minority Leader of theIllinois House of Representatives | |
| In office August 29, 2013 – January 10, 2023 | |
| Preceded by | Tom Cross |
| Succeeded by | Tony McCombie |
| Member of theIllinois House of Representatives from the 82nd district | |
| In office January 6, 2006 – January 10, 2023 | |
| Preceded by | Eileen Lyons |
| Succeeded by | John Egofske |
| Member of theIllinois House of Representatives from the 44th district | |
| In office January 1995 – January 2003 | |
| Preceded by | Thomas Walsh |
| Succeeded by | Terry Parke (redistrcted) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | James Brian Durkin (1961-01-28)January 28, 1961 (age 64) Westchester, Illinois, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Celeste Durkin |
| Children | 1 daughter, 3 stepdaughters |
| Relatives | Thomas M. Durkin (brother) |
| Education | Illinois State University (BA) John Marshall Law School, Chicao (JD) |
James Brian Durkin (born January 28, 1961) is an American politician who served as aRepublican member of theIllinois House of Representatives from 1995 to 2003 and again from 2006 to 2023. He served as the Minority Leader of the Illinois House of Representatives from 2013 to 2023. He was theRepublican nominee for theUnited States Senate in2002.
Durkin was raised inWestchester, Illinois, one of eight brothers. He attended Divine Infant grade school andFenwick High School. He later attendedIllinois State University inBloomington-Normal and graduated in 1984 with a degree in Criminal Justice.[1] He continued his education atJohn Marshall Law School in Chicago, where he received his Juris Doctor degree in 1989. He served as an assistantIllinois Attorney General and an assistantCook County State's Attorney where he served as a felony prosecutor and a special prosecutor in the narcotics unit.[1] His brother,Thomas, is a federal judge on theUnited States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.[2] Durkin is on the board of trustees at the John Marshall Law School, and on the board of trustees for Misercordia Home in Chicago. Durkin lives inWestern Springs, Illinois, with his wife Celeste, daughter and three step-daughters.[1][3]
In 1991, Durkin was elected to the Board of Trustees forTriton Community College District 504.[4] Durkin was appointed to the Illinois House of Representatives on January 6, 1995, and served until 2002.[5][6] Durkin was appointed to succeedThomas J. Walsh after Walsh was appointed to theIllinois Senate to replaceJudy Baar Topinka upon her election asIllinois Treasurer.[7]
In 2000, he served as state chairman for U.S. SenatorJohn McCain's presidential campaign in Illinois,[8] and then in 2007, Illinois co-chair and national legislative co-chair for McCain's second presidential campaign.
In the 2001 decennial redistricting, Durkin was drawn into the same district as fellow RepublicanBob Biggins and opted not to run for reelection.[9]
Eileen Lyons, a Republican, opted not to run for reelection in the 2006 election. Durkin chose to enter the race to succeed her.[10] Lyons opted to resign from the Illinois House of Representatives midway through the 94th General Assembly effective January 5, 2006. Local Republicans leaders opted to appoint Durkin to the seat.[11]
In 2013,Tom Cross stepped down as House Minority Leader to run for the Republican nomination forIllinois Treasurer in the 2014 election. Durkin's chief opponent for the position, RepresentativeRaymond Poe ofSpringfield, conceded to Durkin prior to the caucus vote.[12]
After his party lost a number of seats in the2022 Illinois House of Representatives election, he announced that he would not seek re-election to the leadership post.[13] He was succeeded byTony McCombie.[14] On January 8, 2023, theChicago Tribune reported that Durkin would retire from the Illinois House effective January 10, 2023, and not serve in the 103rd General Assembly to which he was elected.[15]
Representative Durkin served as ranking Republican on the Illinois House impeachment committee in December 2008–January 2009. U.S. SenatorRoland Burris testified in front of the committee, but his testimony was called into question by a later Burris affidavit, in February 2009. Representative Durkin was then quoted as saying "I can't believe anything that comes out of Mr. Burris at this point," and called for Senator Burris' resignation.[16][17]
Durkin called for a criminalperjury investigation of Senator Burris, and "scoffed at the notion that Mr. Burris had not been granted time to mention such relevant conversations or that lawmakers had moved on." The news report continued that "Republicans also questioned why it had taken Mr. Burris nearly a month to amend his testimony, and why lawmakers had not heard of the amendments until they were revealed on Saturday inThe Chicago Sun-Times — more than a week after he sent them." DemocratBarbara Flynn Currie, chair of the impeachment committee, was the recipient of the follow-up affidavit. Senator Burris filed it February 5 or so with Currie, so she became one of the objects of Republican questions and criticism over the delayed release of the information.[18]
Representative Durkin along with other members of the Illinois Republican Party posed strong opposition to the Democratic Drawn Redistricting Maps passed by the State Legislature May 2021. Durkin along with other Senate Minority LeaderDan McConchie criticized the new maps as drawn up too soon arguing that the population assumptions in the new map are off the total population range by up to 29.88%, more than three times the federal maximum range. Durkin along with other State GOP Leaders filed a federal lawsuit challenging the new maps.[19][20]
In 2002, Jim Durkin ran for U.S. Senate against incumbentDick Durbin. Durkin self-identified as a fiscal conservative and a social moderate.[3] Durkin received the Republican nomination with 46%, or 371,000 votes, defeating multi-millionairesJim Oberweis andJohn H. Cox in the primary. He lost to Durbin in the general election, with 38%, or 1,302,000 votes.[21]
 | This section needs to beupdated. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information.(January 2023) |
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Jim Durkin | 378,010 | 45.81% | |
| Republican | Jim Oberweis | 259,515 | 31.45% | |
| Republican | John H. Cox | 187,706 | 22.74% | |
| Total votes | 825,231 | 100.00% | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Dick Durbin (incumbent) | 2,103,766 | 60.33% | +4.25% | |
| Republican | Jim Durkin | 1,325,703 | 38.02% | −2.65% | |
| Libertarian | Steven Burgauer | 57,382 | 1.65% | +0.68% | |
| Majority | 778,063 | 22.31% | +6.90% | ||
| Turnout | 3,486,851 | 49.50% | |||
| Democratichold | Swing | ||||
| Party political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Republican nominee forU.S. Senator fromIllinois (Class 2) 2002 | Succeeded by Steve Sauerberg |
| Illinois House of Representatives | ||
| Preceded by | Minority Leader of theIllinois House of Representatives 2013–2023 | Succeeded by |