DURBIN RETIREMENT PAVES WAY FOR MORE COMBATIVE SENATE JUDICIARY PANEL

Booker’s backing, confirmed by the Washington Examiner on Friday, is significant for multiple reasons. Booker is not only the No. 4 Senate Democrat, but his name had been floated as a possible, if unlikely, contender. He and Schatz are long-time friends.

Schatz, currently the chief deputy whip to Durbin, could still face a contested race. Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), the No. 3 Democrat in leadership, has not ruled out a run, while Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA), the top Democratic appropriator, has also been floated.

But the field has begun to winnow for Schatz. Jeff Giertz, a spokesman for Booker, confirmed the senator is not interested in the position following a report by Punchbowl News on Friday. A spokeswoman for Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), briefly seen as a possible challenger, told the Washington Examiner she will not run.

Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT), a junior member of leadership and an outspoken progressive voice in the Senate, is not believed to be interested and is also close with Schatz.

“Brian regularly does excellent work in service of our caucus and from what I am hearing, he has already earned a lot of support for this position,” Booker told Punchbowl.

Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) has so far not weighed in on the possible succession battle. He was not asked for his preference in a press conference back home in Illinois on Thursday. He did, however, leave the door open to endorsing a candidate in the emerging primary for his Illinois seat.

Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY), the top Senate Democrat, is staying neutral for now, telling MSNBC on Thursday that it’s a “little too early to speculate” given the leadership race is still 19 months away.

DURBIN WON’T RULE OUT SENATE ENDORSEMENT IN ILLINOIS SUCCESSION RACE

When pressed for his thoughts on Schatz, Schumer only said, “We have a lot of really, really good senators.”

Leadership elections are held weeks before the start of the new Congress, which begins in January 2027.