Durbin Casts 17,000th Congressional Vote

The Illinois Democrat's milestone places him among the top 100 vote casters in congressional history.

Updated on Nov. 11, 2026 in Legislative Policy

Wide view of the white dome of the US Capitol rising over a green lawn under a pale morning sky. — Senator Dick Durbin, D-Ill., cast his 17,000th congressional vote on Tuesday, a total spanning his service in both the House and the Senate. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

Senator Dick Durbin, a Democrat from Illinois, cast his 17,000th vote as a member of Congress on Tuesday. The total spans his service in both the House and the Senate.

Why it matters

Durbin's tally places him in the top 100 of all-time vote casters, with only six other members of Congress having cast more votes. The milestone offers a measure of a long legislative career that has included both chambers.

Durbin's 17,000 votes rank him in the top 100 of all-time congressional vote casters, with only six members having cast more. The extraction does not break down how the total is split between his House and Senate service.

The players

Dick Durbin

A Democratic senator representing Illinois, Durbin has served in both the U.S. House and Senate over a long congressional career.

The details

The 17,000 votes were counted across Durbin's combined service in the House and the Senate. He marked the milestone in a statement referencing his hometown of East St. Louis.

Tuesday: Durbin cast his 17,000th congressional vote.

Legislative Context

Durbin's 17,000 votes are recorded in the official House and Senate roll-call record, which tracks every vote cast by members across both chambers. His ranking in the top 100 places his long service within that documented history of congressional voting.

Durbin's voting record reflects decisions made on bills that affect Illinois residents directly. A long tally of votes gives Illinois voters a documented track record to weigh when assessing their representation in the Senate.

The takeaway

A senator's voting record is a public, countable history, and milestones like this one let voters trace how long and how often their representatives have taken positions on legislation.