LIVE RESULTS: Republican Mark Curran takes on incumbent Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin in Illinois
- Polls have closed in former Lake County Sherriff's race against Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin in Illinois this November.
- Durbin, who has served in the US Senate since 1997, is a high-ranking member of Senate leadership and is now seeking a fifth term in office.
- This race is rated as safely Democratic by almost all major election forecasters.
- See the live coverage and full results from the U.S. Senate elections.
Republican Mark Curran is challenging longtime Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin for US Senate in Illinois.
The stakes of the race:
Durbin was first elected to the body in 1996 and is seeking a fifth term to the US Senate this November.
Durbin has served as the Senate's minority whip since 2015, making him the second-highest-ranking Democrat in the chamber behind Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, and previously served as the majority whip when Democrats controlled the chamber from 2007 to 2015.
Durbin also serves on the powerful Senate Committees on Appropriations, the Judiciary, and Rules and Administration. Before being elected to the US Senate, he was an attorney and the US House Representative for Illinois' 20th District.
His Republican opponent, Curran, was the sheriff for Lake County, Illinois, from 2006 to 2018, and has also served as a state and federal prosecutor in the state.
His campaign platform emphasizes protecting and defending the Constitution, lowering taxes and reducing the national debt, securing the border, and supporting law enforcement.
Durbin is overwhelmingly favored to win reelection in this deep-blue state. According to the most recent campaign finance filings, Durbin has outraised Curran by a 50 to 1 ratio, bringing in $8.4 million and spending $3.6 million so far this cycle compared to $168,495 raised and $148,172 spent for Curran.
The race between Durbin and Curren is rated as "safe Democratic" or "solid Democratic" by the Cook Political Report, Inside Elections, Sabato's Crystal Ball at the University of Virginia Center for Politics