We Were Supposed to Have a Week Off…Then Durbin Announced His Retirement—Smoke-Filled Room—Episode 101

We’ll be honest—we weren’t planning on recording a new Smoke-Filled Room this week. We recently joined the Fulton County Republicans for their Lincoln Day Dinner and recorded a live Smoke-Filled Room. That was going to be our episode this week, but then Dick Durbin announced his retirement, people started making moves, and reports of Jan Schakowsky retiring surfaced, and we knew we couldn’t wait until next week to respond…so we have a unique episode for you this week!

Collin Corbett, Michael Butler, and Chris Jackowiak begin this week’s SFR laying out all of the possibilities and what happens next in the race for US Senate. This is an opportunity of a lifetime—Senate seats don’t open up too often and it’s going to lead to a lot of infighting among Democrats. And while Democrats are fighting, will Republicans be able to put up any sort of viable candidate who can pounce? 

We then get into what Jan Schakowsky’s retirement and all the other Dem candidate movement will mean for 2026 before transitioning to our Smoke-Filled Room from Fulton County with State Representatives Norine Hammond and Travis Weaver and Illinois National Committeewoman Rhonda Belford.

We had a big and lively crowd who wanted to hear about dysfunction out of Springfield and that’s what we delivered. Norine and Travis have been in committee hearings and on the House floor fighting back against JB Pritzker’s far-left agenda, the rising cost of living on working families, and the Homeschool Act. They share the hurdles Democrats keep putting in place for Republicans and how Springfield Democrats will do anything it takes to win.

00:00: Introductions
02:56: Democrats Rushing to Announce for US Senate After Dick Durbin Announces Retirement
30:56: Will Any Viable Republicans Run for US Senate?
41:26: Jan Schakowsky to Announce Retirement in May, Opening Up IL-9 for Ambitious Dems
50:10: As Democrats Vacate Seats to Move Up, Will That Create Openings for Republicans?
58:09: Final Thoughts from Part 1
01:00:01: It's Clear JB Pritzker Doesn't Care About Illinois
01:05:54: How Far Left Have Democrats Become in Illinois?
01:15:29: Illinois Democrats Continue to Raise the Cost-of-Living for Working Families
01:21:50: How Will Democrats Fill the Massive Budget Deficit They Created?
01:30:16: Springfield Democrats Trying to Take Away Parental Rights with the Homeschool Act
01:48:07: With Rumors About Top Dems Making Moves, Who Runs for What in 2026 and How Do Republicans Win?
01:57:14: Closing Thoughts